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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23088766">Rotten Lavender</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterGuts/pseuds/GlitterGuts'>GlitterGuts</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Rotten Lavender [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters: Sword &amp; Shield | Pokemon Sword &amp; Shield Versions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abuse of Authority, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Car Sex, Child Abuse, Childbirth, Childhood Trauma, Daddy Kink, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Discussion of Abortion, Drug Use, Gang Rape, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abortion, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Manipulation, Mpreg, No pokemon AU, Painful Sex, Pregnancy Kink, Pregnancy Scares, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rose | Chairman Rose Being an Asshole, Self-Harm, Semi-Public Sex, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Song Lyrics, Suicidal Thoughts, Teen Pregnancy, Underage Prostitution, Underage Sex, Vomiting, no happy ending</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:54:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Rape/Non-Con, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>48,066</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23088766</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterGuts/pseuds/GlitterGuts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The men of Spikemuth often told him he had the same lack of curves his mother had too. The same emaciated body and sunken eyes. They all laughed at him the same way they had laughed at his mother.<br/>What sorry excuse for an Omega.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nezu | Piers/Rose | Chairman Rose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Rotten Lavender [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1659469</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>155</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The small metal badge is cold against his burning palm. The design was carefully engraved into the silver plating, the date and time of creation stamped onto the back in swirly writing. The first of only ten created, a glittering symbol of endurance and pride. It’s far too pretty for someone like him to own, and there’s a sense of guilt at keeping it. He could sell it on the market for a high price, high enough that food wouldn’t be a worry for months. Rent would be covered and perhaps he could even afford a frame for the mattress lying on his bedroom floor.</p>
<p>The idea vanishes as quickly as it comes as Piers stuffs the badge back into the protective silk pouch it was kept in.</p>
<p>He couldn’t.</p>
<p>He just couldn’t sell it.</p>
<p>The bills were piling up on the kitchen table and the landlord was getting angry. Piers can’t blame him. The old man was just trying to make a living like the rest of the people in Spikemuth, and Piers was keeping it from him.</p>
<p>It wasn’t as if he had threatened to throw him out after the first late payment. No, the old landlord had been patient as a saint for as long as possible. Months in fact. Almost a year of late checks and missed months. Given a full three months of forgiveness after his Mother had died.</p>
<p>Pity was a beautiful thing, but it could only carry him for so long.</p>
<p>Locking the silken pouch up in the small safe, Piers knows he can’t keep delaying the inevitable much longer. Pulling himself to his feet, he makes his way to the beaten up dresser. Inside was his Mother’s old clothing. The ones she wore to work.</p>
<p>He rummages around for a moment before pulling out a pair of leather shorts that clung to every none-existent curve he had and a mesh top that left nothing to the imagination. Underwear was unnecessary, so he doesn’t bother. Wearing his dead Mothers clothing was morbid enough, he couldn’t bring himself to touch the undergarments as well.</p>
<p>Over the last few months, his hair had started to grow out, and his regular clients remarked that it suited him much better. It softened his sharp face, reminded them of his Mother.</p>
<p>So he listened, and let his messy locks grow longer.</p>
<p>It didn’t matter what he wanted, after all, no one would care.</p>
<p>A dash of black eye-shadow, a thick outline of black eyeliner and a layer of red lipstick. It’s a stunning resemblance to his mother, God rest her soul. The same high cheekbones, sharp nose, and thin lips. Ghostly pale skin that only seemed to grow paler the older he got.</p>
<p>The men of Spikemuth often told him he had the same lack of curves his mother had too. The same emaciated body and sunken eyes. They all laughed at him the same way they had laughed at his mother.</p>
<p>What sorry excuse for an Omega.</p>
<p>They weren’t wrong. An Omega was supposed to be soft, gentle with lovely curves and a beautiful face. Piers didn’t have any of that, and to top it off he had what everyone called ‘the most rotten scent in Spikemuth.’</p>
<p>He couldn’t smell it himself of course, but others had graciously informed him it was somewhere between rotten lavender and rose soaked in cigar smoke. It isn’t fathomable in his mind, but it didn’t matter.</p>
<p>It wasn’t as if Alpha’s smelled of Cinnamon and Honey, so what right did they have to talk?</p>
<p>Once he’s satisfied with his makeup, the Omega picks a small pill bottle from the sea of cosmetics and pops the cap off with one hand. Out onto his palm spills two bright yellow pills which he swallows dry.</p>
<p>Medical wonders. A scent blocker, contraceptive and heat suppressant all in one. They sold like candy in Spikemuth, and Piers muses the city must single-handedly be keeping them in business.</p>
<p>He gives the bottle a shake and frowns when he hears nothing.</p>
<p>Empty.</p>
<p>He shoves the empty bottle into his purse and makes a mental note to buy more before coming home. It wouldn’t do him any good to forget.</p>
<p>People in town compared him to his mother constantly already, the last thing he wanted was to end up pregnant at fifteen like she had as well.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please head the tags and warnings. This story will contain a lot of sensitive topics and material including child abuse, underage sex, rape, self-harm, suicide mentions, and other things. If this sort of content bothers you, do not read any farther. You've been warned. This story will not have a happy ending.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Spikemuth seemed to be in perpetual darkness. The buildings rose too tall, blocking out the natural warmth of the sun, leaving its residents to bask in the glow of neon signs. The crime was high and morality was low, the cops were just as corrupt as the crime lords.</p><p>Maybe even worse.</p><p>Long time citizens knew how to keep alive. Head down, mouth shut, tail tucked.</p><p>See no evil</p><p>Hear no evil</p><p>Speak no evil.</p><p>Piers learned young the rules of the streets. His mother had been religious about her teachings in her attempt to keep him safe. Never leave the house alone. Never trust an Alpha. Never turn your back. Never take anything offered to you. Never-</p><p>Letting his purse hit the floor with a dull thump, Piers takes up his usual spot in the alleyway behind the local gas station. It was narrow, damp and stunk of mold. The dumpster was overflowing with rotten food, not even the starving rats would pick from. Another person is at the other end of the alley, their silhouette barely distinguishable from the other shadows.</p><p>They always seem to be there at the same time, but neither dares to acknowledge the other. It was better to keep quiet and get to work.</p><p>He doesn’t have to wait long.</p><p>An older gentleman with salt and pepper hair approaches, hands dug deep in the pockets of his oversized jacket. He has a stern face, narrow brows, and thin lips. Age had been somewhat kind to him though, with only a few lines running under his eyes.</p><p>Perhaps he could be rather handsome in nicer lighting.</p><p>“How much?” he clearly isn’t from the area, Piers would have seen him if he lived in the city. Out of town customers weren’t uncommon, Alpha’s loves to come to visit Spikemuth in their free time. A place of renown debauchery and the promise of cheap sex made for a great tourist trap.</p><p>“Twenty for a blowjob. Fifty for sex. A hundred if you want to do it raw.” a crisp hundred dollar bill is shoved in his direction, and Piers snatches it away, stuffing it down his boot. Mechanically he pulls his shorts down, leaning up against the wall with his ass presented in all its glory.</p><p>“Any lube?” he chuckles.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it. I prepped myself already. Just go for it.” he’d learned the hard way to never assumed an Alpha cared about his comfort. They didn’t pay to please him. Only themselves. Piers counts himself as lucky. Still young enough his body dripped with slick at the slightest of sensual touches.</p><p>There’s isn’t any further hesitation.</p><p>Piers squirms as the Alpha pushes his cock deep inside. It certainly isn’t the biggest he’s taken, but as far as dicks went, it was nice enough. The stranger wasn’t particularly skilled. His thrusting was strong but sloppy, slipping out more times than Piers thought was reasonable.</p><p>“Never done it with a guy.” he resists the urge to laugh. As if he needed to explain himself. Piers didn’t give a shit. </p><p>“Relax. Take it slow. You’ll figure it out.” he doesn’t mean for it to be as condescending as it sounds, but the sharp slap on his ass shuts him up quickly.</p><p>“Just not tight enough. My wife never gets this loose.” Piers is grateful the stranger can’t see him roll his eyes. Loose and prepared were two very different things, and he pities whatever this man puts his wife though.</p><p>Another painfully awkward few minutes pass before he finally gets into the rhythm of things. Each thrust becomes more carefully placed, heavy balls slapping against his ass he as he pounds deeper and deeper.</p><p>“Fuck.” the Alpha swears sharply, and Piers winces as he fills himself being pumped full of cum. It was sudden, and he figures out quickly, not intentional.</p><p>The Alpha zips himself up and leaves before anything else can be said, and Piers muses at how fragile his ego must be. Imagine getting embarrassed at cumming too quickly in a whore? As if he gave a single shit.</p><p>There isn’t any time to clean himself up before another Alpha strolls up. Piers knows this one better. A twitchy little man who stalks the streets nightly for his next fix of whatever could get him high enough to forget what was going on in his life.</p><p>“You for sale?” it’s such a stupid thing to ask the Omega standing in an alleyway with cum leaking from his ass.</p><p>“Whatcha looking to get.” the twitchy man looks Piers up and down before shaking his head.</p><p>“Not what I want...” he mumbles, “You know where I can find someone...more...” he trails off, going dead still and staring intently at the nearest wall.</p><p>“Find someone more, what?” Piers jolts him out of his trance, and he begins to scratch at his neck.</p><p>“Pregnant. I want a bitch that’s got a belly full of pup.” disgustingly blunt. Piers crinkles his nose, lips curling back in an irritated snarl.</p><p>“Not here. Go. Get out. Check down by the docks.” he skitters off without another word, leaving Piers to angrily wipe down his ass and legs. Those requests always got his blood boiling. It reminded him too much of the creeps his mother dealt with while she carried his little sister.</p><p>Ironically, it was also the time they never feared the bills that were shoved through the mail slot daily.</p><p>It’s cold. Too cold. Shivering, he huddles as close to the wall as he can get. The wind howled deep and low through the alley, blowing his already messy hair all over the place. A pair of scissors would be nice right about now.</p><p>A few more Alphas stop by.</p><p>Twenty dollars.</p><p>Twenty dollars.</p><p>Another hundred.</p><p>Twenty dollars.</p><p>Finished with a fifty that he quickly stuff down into his boot. The area was starting to thin. People with respectable jobs would be heading to work soon, so the rats who roamed the streets at night were scampering back to their hiding holes.</p><p>Piers is quick to join, scurrying back to his apartment and closing the door with three reinforced deadbolts and a padlock. It’s overkill, reminiscent of a jail cell. However, he would much rather be locked in alone, then locked outside with everyone else.</p><p>He was young, not stupid.</p><p>It was dangerous work. Omegas go missing nightly, some turn up dead, some never resurface and worst yet, some are sold into underground sex rings. Only one of those three fates awaited him. Sometimes he wonders why he even delays it. Death isn’t so scary. People die every day. It’s going to happen sooner or later.</p><p>Piers likes to think he’s been in charge of his own fate.</p><p>Reality isn’t that fair.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Valnide is my pitiful attempt to come up with a fake medicine name.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next time he wakes is late into the afternoon. Sitting up takes more effort than he would like to admit, and Piers can feel his hair sticking out in all directions. A shower sounds nice, but the hot water had been broken for weeks, and an unpaid landlord wasn’t going to waste his time fixing it.</p>
<p>Instead, Piers drowns himself in a gallon of dry shampoo and ties it all up in a messy bun. No one will give a shit how bad he looks, even on a good day he wasn’t going to win any prizes.</p>
<p>The kitchen cupboards are mostly empty, save for a few cups of instant noodles and bags of chips. Food was an expensive necessity that Piers hated to indulge. He settles for a week old banana and picks off the brown spots. Two bites and he’s full.</p>
<p>Slipping out the front door, he makes his way down to the nearby pharmacy. It was small and had an abysmal selection, but in a town like Spikemuth, they were all lucky to have anything at all. They sold a small selection of over the counter medicines, a few food items, and some other odds and ends. The tabloid magazines were at least a year old, the overhead lights flickering constantly.</p>
<p>“ ‘Mornin Piers.” as soon as he walks in he’s greeted by a familiar face. Behinds the front counter was a young Alpha woman with bright ginger hair. Various star and heart shapes were clips into her long locks, her fingernails always immaculately kept.</p>
<p>“ ‘Mornin Sonia.” waving lazily, he picks up a small basket and drops a few packets of cookies and a half-gallon of milk into it.</p>
<p>“You seriously have the worst diet I have ever seen.” her brows furrow in concern, lips going taunt as she founds.</p>
<p>“Ya want to pay for my steak and eggs? Be more than happy to let ya.” he drops the basket on the counter in front of her.</p>
<p>“You could at least get some fresh fruit. Maybe some canned veggies.”</p>
<p>“I got milk. That’s good for ya isn’t it?” she gives a weak laugh as she rings up his order. Piers likes Sonia well enough, though he feels a good amount of pity for her. Such a pretty thing didn’t belong here.</p>
<p>Piers didn’t know the full story, but from what he’d gathered, Sonia came from a wealthy family. Her grandmother was a well-respected doctor in their community and she was hoping to follow in her footsteps. Her high school offered a program to let her own collage credit through an apprenticeship.</p>
<p>Somehow that landed her in Spikemuth, working under the sleazy Pharmacist that spent more time fucking his customers than actually working.</p>
<p>Sonia was good for the neighborhood though. She cleaned the store up, offered genuinely helpful advice without seeking anything in return, and always kept up with the bills. Piers was grateful to have her there, even feeling a pang of sorrow when he remembers she’ll have to leave one day.</p>
<p>She’s the only Alpha he didn’t really mind being around.</p>
<p>“Anything else I can do for you?” she taps one of her long acrylic nails against the register.</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah. I need some more of this stuff.” he pulls out the empty bottle from his purse. Sonia takes it, frowning.</p>
<p>“Valnide? Piers, we’ve been sold out for a week.”</p>
<p>“A week? The fuck you mean a week? When are you gonna get more in?” a creeping sense of panic comes crawling up his spine.</p>
<p>“The factory that produces it caught fire. The whole place went up in smoke before they could do a thing about it. Valnide is sold out from here to Wedgehurst. The only city that still has some in stock is Wyndon, and that’s because the company headquarters are there. The company founder is flying in stock from Kalos and Sinnoh, but it won’t reach major cities for another two weeks. Smaller areas will take longer,” she glances at Piers and back to the bottle in her hand. “Spikemuth will likely be at the bottom of the list.”</p>
<p>“Gotta be fucking kidding me...Ya really don’t have any stored in the back? Nothing?” he knows it’s pointless to ask, but the desperation is sinking in.</p>
<p>“I swear if I did I’d give it to you.” she reaches over the counter and takes his hand. “Piers, you’ve got to stay off the streets till we get some in stock.”</p>
<p>“You say it like I’ve got a fucken choice.”</p>
<p>“How long have you been taking it daily?” she questions.</p>
<p>“Over a year.”</p>
<p>“Without and Valnide in your system, you’ll go into heat. You need to stay home until we get more in stock. I’ll bring it by myself as soon as we get it. If you go out to work now, you’ll just be putting yourself in danger.” he rips his hand away, snatching his bag off the counter and storming out without paying. Sonia doesn’t say a word, only chews her bottom lip nervously.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter contains graphic depictions of rape of an underage character. Please no not read if such topics bother you. You have been warned.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Piers isn’t even halfway back to his apartment when he feels the familiar heat boiling under his skin. The tingling that spreads from his fingertips down to his toes, the ache in his groin that sends shivers up his spine.</p><p>He tries telling himself it’s just a psychosomatic reaction. Sonia put the idea of going into heat in his head, so of course, the fear would trick him into thinking it was happening. The same way one's throat feels sore after being near someone with a cold. Or how sugar pills somehow cured various illnesses just by being presented as real medicine.</p><p>The air around him feels heavy and thick, his lungs like led in his chest.</p><p>The sound of his heavy boots grew louder as he quickened his pace.</p><p>Panic was consuming him.</p><p>
  <em>Get to safety!</em>
</p><p>Piers can see the gate to his apartment up ahead. Just another minute and he’d be inside, safe from the outside world. Wrapped up in the warmth of his blankets, hidden from sight, protected by his three deadbolts and padlock.</p><p>So focused on getting home, he can’t stop in time when someone steps directly in front of him. Crashing face-first into a stranger’s chest, Piers cries out louder than he intends.</p><p>“Where are you going in such a hurry?” those words dripped like syrup from a spoon.</p><p>Piers doesn’t answer, stepping back and maneuvering around the Alpha.</p><p>“Now, now. Don’t be like that.” Piers nearly screams from a hand grabs him by his messy bun and jerks him back. The Alpha towered over him, which was impressive as Piers already stood at nearly six feet. His lips were pulled back in a sorry attempt at a charming smile.</p><p>“I know you,” his smile spreads a little wider, “You’re the little whore who works behind the gas station.” there’s a foggy memory in the back of Piers's mind, this Alpha has a client in the past.</p><p>“He reeks,” another Alpha circles around, glaring over the other's shoulder. “Is something wrong with him? Smells like shit.”</p><p>“Nah mate, he’s just a freak. I told you ‘bout him. His mother used to work the same alley back in the day.” bile rises in the back of Piers's throat.</p><p>Don’t talk about her.</p><p>Please, don’t talk about her right now.</p><p>“Apple don't fall far from the tree now does it?” the first Alpha licks his lips hungrily, practically salivating as he looks Piers up and down.</p><p>“I heard he’s got a little sis too. Bet she’ll be a fine piece of ass when she grows up.” something snaps within him, and Piers can’t take anymore.</p><p>Not Marnie.</p><p>Don’t talk about Marnie.</p><p>Shooting up onto the tips of his toes, Piers slams the top of his head under the Alpha’s chin. A sick crack rings out, a scream of pain fills the empty street and the frightened Omega bolts. He doesn’t need instinct to tell him that danger is right at his heels. The sounds of yelling and the pounding of shoes against asphalt send adrenaline coursing through his veins.</p><p>Normally, Piers would be able to make it back to his place in record time. One loop around the block and a shortcut through the back alley and he’s home.</p><p>Tonight wasn’t like the other nights.</p><p>The heat under his skin was boiling hot now, each time his foot landed against the ground a wave of agony shoots up his spine. The air around him was heavy, too thick to breathe in. Head spinning, he trips up over his own feet, the concept of a straight line suddenly an alien language.</p><p>Piers hits the concrete, little pebbles and stones embedding into the soft flesh of his palms and knees. With tremendous effort, he tries to right himself, stumbling to get back up to his feet.</p><p>“No use running any farther little rabbit.” fingers curl into his long hair, clenching the locks tightly and jerking him backward. Losing his balance once more, he finds himself splayed out on his back, arms and legs flailing in the air in a pitiful attempt to defend himself.</p><p>“Hold him down. I’ll get his pants.” Piers is nearly convulsing from fear and a primal need to be touched. The pain is hotter and deeper than anything he’s ever known, even worse than his very first heat.</p><p>“What a scrawny thing. ‘e looks half dead.” his pants are being torn off, large hands holding his legs down as he still attempts to kick them off.</p><p>“Relax. You’ll feel right as rain once we’re done with ya.” a sound between a scream and a sob bubbles up from deep within. Piers always wondered why people in horror movies didn’t seem to fight back, why they didn’t shout and scream as they ran away. He understands now.</p><p>True fear is paralyzing.</p><p>“Look at that...already soaking wet for us.” Piers damns his body to hell and back. Slick leaking out of his ass and pooling around his bottom, cooling his skin in the chilly autumn air.</p><p>Two fingers are jammed inside of him without warning, and a scream tears out of his chest.</p><p>“Keep ‘em quiet. We don’t need someone interrupting us.” on command, three fingers are shoved into his mouth and down his throat. He gags around them, bile rising in the back of his throat. Desperately he tries to bite down, but the Alpha has such a tight grip against his jaw and teeth, he can only barely manage a pinch.</p><p>“This one seriously a whore? Who’d pay for such a sickly thing?”</p><p>“Ay, we’ll fix that. They always fill out nicely after a pup or two. Shoulda seen his mum, started off looking like shit. Got better over time. Almost looked like a proper omega the last time I was with ‘er.” another sob spills out, spit leaking down the side of his mouth and chin.</p><p>“Ey you fucked his mum? That’s sick.”</p><p>“Oh come on. I told you just about everyone in town has. He learned from the best.” blobs of white begin to obscure his vision. His chest felt tight, his lungs too empty. Piers knows a group has gathered, he can hear the low murmurs around him, but he can’t see who’s there.</p><p>“Just shut up and get to it. I want to get in there too.” the tip of something thick and hard presses to his hole, sliding in with one hard thrust, and Piers bucks his hips at the sensation.</p><p>It hurt.</p><p>It hurt so badly.</p><p>It felt good.</p><p>It felt too good.</p><p>The small group jeers and Piers feels his body surrendering to the need his heat was bringing upon him.</p><p>“Move your fingers. I’ve got a better use for that mouth.” his vision is all but black when he’s finally able to gasp for air. Choking and spluttering as he desperately gulps down the much-needed oxygen.</p><p>The head of someone's cock is pushed to his face, precum covering his lips like a sheen of gloss. Someone pinches his nose closed, and he tries his hardest to hold his breath as long as possible. Maybe if he can just force himself to pass out, this nightmare will end sooner.</p><p>His body betrays him once more, with no choice but to open his mouth and gasp for air before he can fade under the solace of unconsciousness.</p><p>“If you bite me, I’ll snap yer fucking neck.” at this point, Piers is too tired to fight. Everything is a blur of black and white, faces obscured as his eyes remain unable to focus. His body burning hotter than the sun as his hole is abused over and over.</p><p>He splutters around the cock in his mouth, the tip hitting the back of his throat and choking him. There’s no chance to breathe as the Alpha fucks his mouth, pounding harder the more Piers gags around him.</p><p>Piers isn’t sure how long he’s there.</p><p>Ten minutes. An hour. All night. He can’t say.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>When he wakes it’s to the taste of cum on his tongue and fluid leaking out of his ass. Closing his eyes, he tries to will himself back into unconsciousness.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Weakly, Piers tries to open his eyes. His cheeks and jaw are throbbing, even the simple act of breathing racked his body with pain.</p><p>“That’s right, stay with me.” someone places something damp to his cheek.</p><p>“Can you tell me your name?” he can hear the question just fine, but his brain can’t seem to wrap itself around the answer. With great difficulty, Piers hauls himself onto his elbows, legs too sore to follow as he turns onto his side.</p><p>“No, no. Don’t move.” a hand is placed onto his shoulder, sending a shockwave down Piers’ spine. In a moment of horror, he realizes his heat still wasn’t over.</p><p>Without thinking, he throws himself against this stranger, sobbing.</p><p>“H-help me.” a soothing warmth envelopes him as two arms wrap him up tightly and pull him closer.</p><p>“You’re safe now.” something catches his attention. A smell.</p><p>Roses.</p><p>“It h-hurts...H-help m-me...” want overtakes need, and Piers pushes himself against this stranger. Trembling fingers curling into a fine silken tie, lips pressing desperate kisses to this strangers throat.</p><p>He isn’t prepared to be pushed down.</p><p>Held tightly against this person's chest in an embrace he can only liken to that of a parent.</p><p>Like the way his mother used to hold him when he was a child.</p><p>“You’ll be alright. Try to stay calm. Help is on the way.” help? What help was going to come for him? The police in Spikemuth were worthless. There wasn’t even a hospital. Any help was a town and two hours away.</p><p>“Deep breaths.” Piers tries to obey, each sob sucking the air from his lungs before he can regain it.</p><p>“Can you tell me your name?” again with the question. This time he tries to answer.</p><p>“P-P-Piers.” he gasps out, eyes screwed shut.</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you Piers.” fingers begin to gently stroke his hair, and the sobbing Omega finally begins to calm. “My name is Rose.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Piers doesn’t dream. In order to dream you need to sleep, and sleeping wasn’t something he did much of. At least, not since his mother died. Most nights were spent chugging cheap coffee and people watching out of his apartment window. Some nights spent in a cold bath, willing his body to fight the need to rest.</p>
<p>Of course, it wasn’t possible to not sleep at all.</p>
<p>He’d long been dead if it was.</p>
<p>Piers doesn’t like to think about those nights.</p>
<p>
  <em>“What were you thinking?” his stomach churns, “You kn</em>
  <em>e</em>
  <em>w better. Didn’t I teach you better?” there isn’t anything around him. Nothing at all. Just empty space filled with darkness so thick he can’t see his hands in front of his face. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> A breath on his neck. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “I wanted better for you. How ungrateful can you be? What about Marnie? How could you abandon her so willingly?” ghostly fingers curl around his neck, suffocating him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “I loved you so much, how could you do this? I gave everything up for you. For your sister. Didn’t you love me at all?” </em>
</p>
<p>A jolt runs through the entirety of his body, fingers, and toes feeling as if they’d just been set alight. A soundless scream leaving his open mouth, Pier’s sits up far too quickly. The pounding in his head nearly blinds him, the pain that radiates over his muscles sends him crashing onto his back.</p>
<p>Gasping, the Omega tries to gain some sense of relativity. The sheets he claws at feel like silk, the blankets over top him heavy and warm. The walls around him are painted a lavish pale blue, ornate white trim lines the ceiling.</p>
<p>This isn’t his room.</p>
<p>This isn’t a hospital.</p>
<p>Panic seeps down into the very pores of his skin, fight or flight kicking into high gear.</p>
<p>Tossing the blankets off himself, Piers stumbles out of the bed and hits the floor like a rock. All strength sucked from him, his long legs lost all coordination as he tries to stumble back to his feet. Looking like a lost baby deer as he tries to grapple back to an upright position.</p>
<p>“Careful, careful now!” his vision is blurred, but he can still make out an elderly woman rushing into the room.</p>
<p>“You’re going to hurt yourself.” she places her cane to the side, kneeling down with some difficulty to face him eye to eye.</p>
<p>“W-where am I?” he croaks out, pins and needles tearing into his throat as he tries to speak.</p>
<p>“Someplace safe. You need to get back into bed and rest though. You’re only going to do more damage by trying to move.” her voice is stern but gentle, and almost grandmotherly air about her. Patiently, she waits for Piers to regain some control over himself. After about five minutes of struggling, he manages to drag himself onto his knees.</p>
<p>Pausing, he stops to look down at his body. A thin overly large white t-shirt and some baggy boxers were all he had on. Bruises blooming like muddied flowers over his thighs and along his wrists. The deeper wounds bandaged cleanly, but he wonders how deep they run.</p>
<p>“Is everything all right in here?” a courtesy knock at the door is all the warning Piers has before someone else enters the room.</p>
<p>“He flung himself out of bed in a panic. I told you he needed to be taken to a proper hospital.” the old woman hisses, glaring over her shoulder. A middle-aged man comes in, dressed nicely in a suit that looked like it cost more than all the rent Piers owned.</p>
<p>“Come now Magnolia, you know as well as I do what would have happened if I had.” Piers stomach knots up.</p>
<p>Hospitals meant mandatory reporters.</p>
<p>Police would be called.</p>
<p>Questions would be asked.</p>
<p>His whole life would be scrutinized and placed under a microscope for lawyers and judges to tear apart. More than likely with the blame ending on his own shoulders.</p>
<p>“Help me get him back into the bed. He’s too weak to stand on his own.” the man comes over swiftly, offering a steady arm for Piers to hold onto. Slowly, he rises to his feet, trembling all over. The three steps it took to reach the bedside were too much, and he crumples back to the floor.</p>
<p>“Whoa, whoa, easy.” strong arms wrap around his waist, keeping him from hitting the ground a second time. No time to fight back, to demand to be let go. Before he can blink, Piers has been lifted and placed onto the bed with ease.</p>
<p>“There you are. Now, you keep still and just let us know what you need.”</p>
<p>“Morphine,” Piers replies dryly.</p>
<p>“On a scale of one to ten, one being a paper cut and ten being unbearable agony, what are you in?” the lady, Magnolia, asks.</p>
<p>Piers takes a second to think.</p>
<p>“Seven.”</p>
<p>“I can give you some Tramadol to ease the pain. Does that sound alright to you?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know what the hell it is,” Piers responds. The older man chuckles, and Magnolia shakes her head.</p>
<p>“Less powerful than Morphine. Now excuse me, I’ll have to run down to the pharmacy and pick it up.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have any?” the older man questions.</p>
<p>“No, I don’t just keep powerful narcotics on my person at all times. I’ll return as quickly as possible,” she points a finger at Piers as she grabs her cane with her free hand, “You stay in that bed. Don’t you dare move till I return.” and with that, she’s gone before any more can be said on the matter.</p>
<p>“You had me worried there for a minute.” the man drags a chair closer to the edge of the bed, “I thought you were a goner.” he watches for Piers reaction, frowning when it remains blank.</p>
<p>“Do you not remember?”</p>
<p>“...Ya found me?” it’s fuzzy in his head, thoughts whirling around in a hazy mess.</p>
<p>“I did.” was the simple answer. Piers looks down at his hands, tracing the bruised knuckles nervously. A few seconds of silence is all he can take.</p>
<p>“Who are you?” the Omega demands, the older man looks startled, confused.</p>
<p>“You don’t know who I am?”</p>
<p>“Should I?” Piers retorts, glaring up at the Alpha through his bangs. It’s only met with a laugh and a soft smile.</p>
<p>“My name is Rose. Gabriel Rose.” a chill goes up Piers spine, eyes going wide in shock. That name was known in every household in Galar, even a cesspool like Spikemuth knew of the great Chairman Rose. The founder of Rose pharmaceuticals and manufacturer of Valnide. A hero in the eyes of nearly every Omega in the country, possibly the world.</p>
<p>“Ey shit...” Piers wiggles further back from the man, adverting his gaze.</p>
<p>“I was in Spikemuth for a meeting with city officials. When I was on my way back to my hotel I just so happened to see you,” Rose gives a tender smile, “I know how corrupt the police are in Spikemuth, so I had you brought to my hotel. Magnolia, the dear old lady who’s been treating you, is my private physician. I had her come right over and tend to you.”</p>
<p>“I ain’t got no money. I ain’t gonna be able to pay for any of this.” Piers yelps, “I ain’t got nothing at all. Whatever ya want from me, I ain’t got it!”</p>
<p>Debt.</p>
<p>More debt.</p>
<p>He can’t afford to be in more debt.</p>
<p>He certainly can’t afford to be in debt to the richest, more powerful man in all of Galar.</p>
<p>A man that could easily make him vanish without a trace.</p>
<p>“I don’t expect you to pay me back.” Rose almost looks hurt at the accusation, but Piers is hardly placated.</p>
<p>“What ya want? Sex? A slave? Sell me to one of ya buddies?” fear is quickly being overtaken by anger. This man had enough wealth to feed and house every man, woman, and child in Spikemuth. Enough influence to protect all those Omegas who sold themselves nightly in a desperate attempt to survive.</p>
<p>“I don’t want anything from you.” he reiterates, motioning towards the door, “If you so wish, you can leave right now. I’ll call a taxi and have you back at your front door by the end of the hour.” the Alpha already has his phone in hand, waiting patiently to dial up the cab company.</p>
<p>“So why’d ya do it? Why’d ya bother saving a piece of trash like me?” the pain blazing throughout his body only fueling his anger. “Ya want to make me some charity case? Wanna look like a hero? Saving some cheap whore from a back-alley in Spikemuth? Bet the press would eat that shit right up.” Piers snarls, flashing his teeth.</p>
<p>Silence lingers in the air as he glares down the shocked CEO.</p>
<p>Piers has been cornered plenty of times before but never had he felt such anger.</p>
<p>The resentment is overwhelming.</p>
<p>This man in front of him held so much power, so much wealth and influence.</p>
<p>Yet Piers is left to rot away, with barely a cent to his name.</p>
<p>It isn’t fair.</p>
<p>The CEO still hasn’t responded, quietly watching as Piers goes from seething rage to hysterical sobbing. Standing up from his chair, he makes his way out of the room.</p>
<p>“Fucker...Fucking rich ass bastard...” his mother had told him many times, money couldn’t buy happiness.</p>
<p>What a load of bullshit.</p>
<p>Burying his face into one of the plush pillows, Piers sobs. Surrounded by silken sheets and the soft scent of floral disinfectants, the reality sinks in deeper. In a few minutes, he would have to drag his broken body out the door and be taken back to the hell hole he called home. Back to the roaches, mice, dirty floors, and moldy walls.</p>
<p>“Here.” he doesn’t notice Rose coming back into the room. He peeks up from the pillow, glaring up at the gently smiling man.</p>
<p>“Take this with you when you leave.” Rose holds out a small cloth bag with his company logo printed on the front.</p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>“Six bottles of Valnide. Half a year supply. It should hold you over until we’re able to get it back onto the shelves in Spikemuth.” Piers rips the bag out of the Alpha’s hand, digging into it with wide eyes.</p>
<p>“H-how much.”</p>
<p>“I told you before. I don’t want anything from you,” the older man insists, “It’s free.”</p>
<p>“Nothing is free. Everything has a price, no matter how big or small. Now tell me what the fuck you want from me.” Piers clutches the bag to his chest, lips set in a thin line as he continues to glare. Rose sighs deeply, reaching up to twirl one overly long strand of hair.</p>
<p>“Well, if you insist on paying for it, I suppose I could think of something for you to do in return.”</p>
<p>Piers tenses up.</p>
<p>There it is.</p>
<p>That mischievous glint Alphas always seemed to get in their eyes before sinking their claws into their prey.</p>
<p>“Out with it. What do ya want.”</p>
<p>“I have some files that need to be shredded. Would you be willing to cut them up for me? Shouldn’t take more than a few hours.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She has a sharp face and a sharper tongue. The gaze she casts over Piers is dripping with disgust, lip curling into a sneer as she dumps a while of papers and files onto the bed in front of him. Perfectly manicured nails and blood-red lips, she reeks of sandalwood and expensive perfume.</p><p>“My name is Oleana. I am the Chairman’s personal assistant. The Chairman told me you’d take care of these for me,” a pair of scissors hang from one long finger, “Don’t go getting nosy and reading through them. It’s all classified information.”</p><p>“S’pos he shouldn’t a given the job to me then, should he?” something snaps behind her eyes, and she grips the scissors in her fists.</p><p>“Don’t question his judgment you snot-nosed little whore,” when she snarls, Piers takes note of how perfectly straight and pearly white her teeth are, “You’re lucky someone like the Chairman took pity on you.”</p><p>“What’s up your crawl? Ya his wife or something?” he doesn’t get an answer, only the pair of scissors being chucked a little too hard in his general direction. Heels click against the hardwood flooring as she stomps out of the room.</p><p>“Bitch.” Piers mumbles, taking a small stack of files into his hand and glancing over them. He doesn’t understand any of it, numbers and big words strung together in paragraphs so long a novel could be written with them.</p><p>It takes a few pages before he can put together that it’s just a listing of what ingredients go into what medicines.</p><p>“The hell they think I’m gonna do with this? Make my own fucking Valnide in my bathroom?” he couldn’t pronounce any of the ingredients, let alone identify what they were.</p><p>He gives up trying to decode what he’s been given after the third page. Taking the scissors, he begins to snip them up into a million pieces.</p><p>
  <em>Snip Snip</em>
</p><p>Order forms, shipping labels to every region Piers has ever heard of.</p><p>Kanto.</p><p>
  <em>Snip Snip</em>
</p><p>Kalos</p><p>
  <em>Snip Snip</em>
</p><p>Hoen</p><p>
  <em>Snip Snip</em>
</p><p>Shinnoh</p><p>The scissors feel like iron in his hands, head dipping a bit as his eyelids hang heavy. The tedious nature of cutting up paper was so unstimulating even sleep sounded better than continuing for another five minutes.</p><p>“Knock knock,” he’s jolted upright before his head can even hit the pillow. “I thought you could use something to eat.” Piers watches as Rose comes into the room, pushing a silver dining cart with him. Two plates of food with matching silver covers over top to keep them warm.</p><p>“You look like you haven’t had a decent meal in years.” Piers doesn’t think it’s meant to be offensive, but he can’t help but pull the covers up a little further over his frame.</p><p>“I hope you aren’t a vegetarian.” Rose clears the files off Piers’ lap before he can protest.</p><p>“I know I should eat more salads, Magnolia is always onto me for my diet,” he continues, “But no amount of lettuce and tomato can compare to a delicious steak.” the Alpha lifts the lid off the plate, and Piers can feel the saliva filling his mouth instantly.</p><p>Never before had he seen such a stunning display of culinary prowess. The steak was perfectly seared and dripping in some sort of reddish sauce. Diced potatoes and chopped green beans on the side with a heap of butter melting over two fluffy rolls.</p><p>His stomach started to growl before he can even utter a word.</p><p>“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I just ordered you my favorite. Nowhere else in Galar can you get such a finely prepared steak.”</p><p>“Are you sure we’re still in Spikemuth?” Piers can’t believe such a scrumptious meal could come from the notoriously filthy city. He’d only seen meals like in magazines or commercials for Wyndon’s high-class bars. Certainly not from Spikemuth.</p><p>“Spikemuth contains a few hidden gems if you know where to look,” there was a gleam in Rose’s eyes, “I like to think I’m rather skilled at finding such things.”</p><p>Piers wants to push the food away, refuse to take yet another hand out. However, the smell is so intoxicating, and his stomach is growling so loudly, he can’t bring himself to protest. Price be damned, if he was going to be in debt he might as well enjoy the bait while it was laid out in front of him.</p><p>Stabbing the potatoes with his fork, he digs in without another thought.</p><p>Rose chuckles, taking a sip from his champagne glass.</p><p>“Slow down, no one’s going to take it from you. I can always order you a second plate if you want it.” Piers glares up at him while bites a chunk straight from his steak.</p><p>“This shit probably costs more than my goddamn rent.”</p><p>“I told you, I’m not expecting you to repay me. Enjoy it, it’s a gift.” there it is again.</p><p>Pity?</p><p>Deception?</p><p>Genuine generosity?</p><p>“How are you feeling? Was the medicine enough? I can call Magnolia back down if you need something else.”</p><p>“M’fine. Just sore.” the Tramadol had been in his system for a few hours now, the severe pain dulled to an uncomfortable ache.</p><p>“Good, good. Do you have anyone I can call to get you? I’d hate to send you out on your own.” Piers shoves another potato into his already stuffed mouth. Manners be damned.</p><p>“No on. One my own.”</p><p>“I see. How old are you Piers?” Rose pours a second champagne glass full of some bubbly liquid and hands it to Piers. The Omega eyes it wearily, swallowing thickly.</p><p>“I don’t drink.”</p><p>“I don’t either on a Thursday afternoon,” Rose grins, “It’s sparkling cider. No alcohol.” cautiously, Piers takes the glass, bringing the rim to his nose and sniffing curiously.</p><p>Fruity.</p><p>Lemon.</p><p>Cherry.</p><p>Maybe some Lime.</p><p>Taking a small sip, he’s greeted with a mouthful of carbonation and not the slightest hint of alcohol.</p><p>“I can order you something else to drink if you don’t like it.”</p><p>“It’s fine.” Piers sets the glass on the bedside table and goes back to his dinner.</p><p>“It’s getting late. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to stay for tonight?” Rose dabs the corners of his mouth with a cloth napkin, Piers just runs the back of his hand over his lips.</p><p>“Told ya. I’m not interested in whatever it is you’re trying to do.”</p><p>“Understood. I’ll have a cab come by as soon as you’ve finished your dinner.” Rose sends a quick text before returning to his meal. The food is polished off quickly, and Piers feels disgustingly full.</p><p>He can’t remember the last time he has a proper meal.</p><p>Maybe it was when his mother was still around.</p><p>Before Marnie was born.</p><p>The clatter of silverware dropping against the ceramic plates catches Piers's attention. Rose drops his napkin over the empty plate and finished off his glass of cider with one last swig.</p><p>“Though, I feel as if I must be honest with you,” the Alpha clears his throat, “There was a reason you caught my attention.”</p><p>There it is.</p><p>The motive.</p><p>The reason.</p><p>“Oh yeah, and what was that?” Piers grumbles, running his index finger over the rim of the plate and licking off the extra sauce.</p><p>Sweet and tangy.</p><p>He tries to commit it to memory.</p><p>“You look almost exactly like someone I once knew,” Rose sighs, “She was born and raised in Spikemuth, but I lost contact with her nearly twenty years ago. Perhaps you’re related to her?” all his irritation and bravado quickly vanishes, stomach-turning.</p><p>Don’t say it.</p><p>Please God, if you can hear me, don’t fucking say it.</p><p>“Her name was Diana.” Piers throws the covers off, the empty plate shattering onto the floor. His legs are still weak, but he manages to keep standing this time.</p><p>“I swear to God...I fucking swear to God if you were one of the bastards that hurt her!” his voice trembles, “I what the fuck do you want with me!? What did you do to her!?” all those Alphas came flooding back.</p><p>
  <em>Every night they’d come in, one by one, two by two, sometimes groups of six or more. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s ok Piers. Just wait in your room and listen to that new CD I got you. I’ll come read you a bedtime story when I’m done working, ok?” she smiled, tucking the sheets around his tiny frame, slipping the tattered pair of headphones over his ears. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “This was my favorite band growing up. I want you to tell me which song is your favorite ok? Listen good, and learn the lyrics so you can sing for me, ok?” she presses a kiss to his cheek, pressing play on the old CD player before leaving the bedroom and locking the door behind her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Laying there, Piers began to </em>
  <em>count the dimly glowing stars his mother had lovingly painted onto the ceiling above his bed. The paint was growing weaker every week, but it was still just bright enough to count. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> She promised to teach him all about the stars one day. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Galaxies, planets, and comets. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Places far away from this city. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Maybe, one day they could travel to one of those stars. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Far, far away from all these Alphas. </em>
</p><p>The room is spinning, and the air feels too thick to breathe in. There’s a ringing in his ears, deafening and all-consuming. The same sensation of holding your breath underwater ten seconds too long, and the fear of drowning kicks in and forces you to resurface.</p><p>“Piers, Piers, calm down.” Rose holds his hands up in front of himself, slowly edging closer. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I don’t know what happened, but I never hurt your mother. We went to the same school together.” he reaches into his pocket and pulls something out.</p><p>“I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen this, but they gave them to all that attended the university.” Piers hits the floor, bruises knees screaming. Rose flashes a small metal badge, a solid gold letter H in an elaborate font.</p><p>His mother had the same one.</p><p>Her most cherished possession.</p><p>Real gold and silver.</p><p>
  <em>“I could never sell it. It reminds me...of a better time.” </em>
</p><p>“You knew my mother?” he whispers, soft and broken. The Alpha kneels down, eye wide in shock.</p><p>“You’re...Diana’s son?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His sleep is plagued with nightmares once more. Phantoms of the past coming to greet him with smiling faces and open arms, beckoning him to join. Their touch like acid against his flesh jolted awake only to pass out once more.</p><p>The sun filtering in through the lacy curtains finally stirs him awake enough to stay conscious.</p><p>“I’m not letting you out of my sight this time.” he recognizes the voice, head flopping weakly to the side to see Magnolia sitting nearby with a cup of tea and a novel.</p><p>“What happened.” his tongue feels like cotton in his mouth, dry and thick.</p><p>“Rose called me. He said you’d flown into a panic and jumped out of bed again. Found you passed out on the floor with a raging fever. Seems you acquired a nasty infection in one of your wounds,” she takes a sip of her tea, “I have you on an IV full of antibiotics and fluids as well as a mild sedative. If you refuse to listen to my orders, I’ll have to keep you sedated till you’re fully healed.” placing her tea aside, Magnolia takes her cane and stands.</p><p>“You’re health is in a very fragile state right now. You’ll be on bed rest for the next three days, or until I’m sure we have you healthy enough you can stand without passing out. Got it?” there’s no energy in him to argue, so he simply nods.</p><p>“Good boy. Now, are you feeling up to having something to eat or drink?” Magnolia’s sharp expression softens, “I think a nice hot bowl of soup and some apple juice would be good.” Piers shakes his head, feeling nauseous at the thought of putting anything into his mouth.</p><p>“Well, you aren’t getting steak and potatoes again. Stupid man, giving you such a heavy rich meal like that. It’s a wonder you didn’t vomit it all back up.”</p><p>“Give me about ten seconds.” Piers mumbles, a cold sweat breaking out down his spine. Magnolia doesn’t miss a beat, moving as quickly as possible to pull his hair from his face.</p><p>He gags, last night's meal forcing its way back up and burning his mouth and nostrils. Spluttering and coughing, the momentary fear of drowning in his own bile passes through his brain. There he was, in a strange hotel, sick and injured, vomiting all over a floor that cost more than his entire apartment complex.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry,” he chokes out, tears burning the edges of his eyes, “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“You’re alright dear,” Magnolia soothes, stroking his back gently, “You don’t need to be sorry.” Piers coughs again, half hanging off the side of the bed with saliva and bile dripping from his lips when he catches movement in the corner of the room.</p><p>The scent of roses fills the air and he bites back the urge to scream.</p><p>The last thing he wanted right now was a bloody Alpha hanging around.</p><p>“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be in here,” Magnolia mutters, “He’s very fragile right now.” he peeks through his hair and sees Rose looking rather dejected.</p><p>“I understand. Please inform me if his condition changes or you need anything. I’ll be in the other room.” he leaves without another word, and Piers lets the tension fall from his shoulders.</p><p>“He means well,” Magnolia sighs, “He really does. However, most find him far too overbearing. Good intentions become rather obnoxious when being constantly thrust upon you.” that statement actually manages to wring a weak laugh out of the Omega.</p><p>“Thought it was only me,” he rasps, “S’he really like that with everyone?”</p><p>“Only with those he takes a keen interest in. I’ve known Rose since he was around your age, and he’s only grown more bull-headed over the years.”</p><p>“Sounds like a true Alpha.” Piers weakly pulls himself back onto the bed. The stale taste of vomit lingering in his mouth making him queasy all over again.</p><p>“In some ways, most certainly. However, I dare say Rose is one of the good ones.” the old woman leans her head out the bedroom door and barks for a maid to be brought in to clean up the mess.</p><p>“So...what’re you?” Piers knows it isn’t polite conversion to ask someone's status. If it wasn’t easily detected, it usually meant it was no one's business. The doctor only smirks in amusement, shifting her weight to lean on her cane more heavily.</p><p>“I’m a Beta my dear. I thank the stars every day that I got off so lucky.”</p><p>“I hear Beta’s got it made. No bonding. No ruts. No heats.” Piers isn’t prepared for the look of melancholy that passes over her face.</p><p>“I had no idea just how badly others had it till my little girl was born. My daughter was as mean and fierce as they come, swore up and down that girl was going to present as an Alpha...” Magnolia removes the glasses off her face and lets them hang around her neck. “I wasn’t prepared for when the school called me one afternoon and told me she’d gone into heat in the middle of class. They moved her to a safe room of course. They kept her calm till I arrived to take her home, but the damage was done. Everyone knew she was an Omega, and from that day on things were never the same. My poor girl was bullied and harassed, begged me to pull her out and home-school her.”</p><p>“I’m sorry...That...sounds like shit.” he’s at a loss for what to say. Every Omega had a different story, but in a sense, they were all the same.</p><p>“Ah, it’s ancient history now. She grew up into a lovely woman, found herself a charming man and gave birth to my precious granddaughter. The years of pain ended and now she’s happy as can be.” Magnolia laughs, “We were all worried sick that my granddaughter would go through the same thing, but that little spitfire is an Alpha through and through. A good one at that! Wasn’t going to let her grow up to be some arrogant knothead. I told her, I told her if I ever got a call from someone saying she caused trouble I’d shove my cane right up her ass. Too many troublesome bastards out there.”</p><p>“She’s lucky to have a family who cares so much.” jealous begins creeping up. His mother hadn’t been there the first time he had his heat. She couldn’t protect him from the Alphas that came prowling around after the scent of a fresh, fertile Omega.</p><p>“I heard from Rose you don’t have a family to return to.” he shakes his head.</p><p>“No. Dunno know who my dad was, and mom died years ago. Got a baby sister, but she’s in the system now.”</p><p>“Do you know where she is?” Magnolia pulls a seat up next to the bed, leaving room for the maid to come and clean up the mess splattered on the floor.</p><p>“I do. She’s being fostered by an old lady in Ballonlea. The plan is for me to take custody of her when I turn eighteen,” his heartaches. “I miss her, but I know she’s safe. Her foster mom pays for me to come up and visit every few weeks so she don’t forget my scent. Kids that little...they forget real easy.” it feels wrong sharing such personal information with a stranger, but Magnolia seems to kind…</p><p>“How old are you now?” that question sets him on edge.</p><p>“Don’t really matter does it?” he snaps, the good feeling quickly sobering up into his usual irritation.</p><p>“No, no. I suppose it doesn’t. I’m not going to report you to anyone if that’s what your concern is.” she slips her glasses back onto her face.</p><p>“Doctors are mandatory reporters. Ya gotta spill to the cops.”</p><p>“Does this look like a hospital to you?” she questions. “Besides, when it comes to Rose, all my work is off the record.”</p><p>“Money covers up everything, doesn’t it?” Piers retorts.</p><p>“I can’t disagree with you on that, however, I’m not being paid to treat you. I came because I wanted to ensure you were safe, and I’m well aware of how corrupt the system is in Spikemuth. I know just how deep the blood runs here.”</p><p>“So why bother? If I die I’m just another body in a bag, right?” Piers hisses, gritting his teeth. “I’m only worth what a horny Alpha wants to pay after all.” Her sharp expression softens.</p><p>“I hope that isn’t how you see yourself. You’re worth so much more than that.”</p><p>“How the fuck would you know what I’m worth?” there’s a knock at the door and he watches her stand, opening the door to allow a timid maid to scurry in.</p><p>“I suppose I don’t know. However, Rose seems to see something in you, and he’s never wrong about these sorts of things. The ones he takes an interest in always turn out to be grand. So take a bit of advice from an old lady who’s been around much longer than you have.” she stands tall, looking down her glasses at the Omega with a proud smile on her lips.</p><p>“When a man like Rose puts his reputation on the line for someone, you can be sure good things are coming your way.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I love comments, please leave me some ^^</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>
    <span>It takes three days for Rose to come nosing around again. Piers knows he’s lingering right outside the bedroom door, his scent is too strong to be mistaken for anyone else. The sound of his shoes tapping around give him away too. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> Oleana walked with purpose, heels clicking like tiny daggers against the hardwood. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> Magnolia shuffled along quietly, her cane clacking alongside her. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> The maids hardly made a sound at all, which was disconcerting on its own. Piers can’t figure out just how they manage to clean so quietly. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> Rose however, was the only one who paced. Back and forth. Right outside the door, at all hours. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> Finally, on the eve of the third night, the door cracks open and the CEO peeks in. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “’Bout time.” Piers snaps. “If you wanted to come in, you should have done so already.” the door opens fully and Rose enters, looking around sheepishly. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “Magnolia told me not to bother you.” </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “She cleared me to go home tomorrow.” Piers picks at his nails, the atmosphere in the room awkward and volatile. Rose shifts his weight from foot to foot before speaking,</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “Is there anything else I can do for you before you go?” Piers cuts his eyes up at the older man, thin lips set into a tight frown. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “Yeah. I wanna know how you knew my mom.” </span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>he swallows thickly, heart pounding in his chest. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> Keep a straight face. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> He’s already seen you at your worst. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> You can’t afford to drop your guard again. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “Very well, I’m more than happy to tell you.” Rose doesn’t bother with a chair this time, sitting at the foot of the bed instead. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “I was in my second year of university when I met your mother. We didn’t share any classes, as you can expect, we were attending under different studies. I was there for a major in pharmaceuticals and a minor in business, Diana was aiming for a degree in the arts. So it was by chance our paths even crossed.” Piers listens, unaware of how tensely he was gripping the sheets around him. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “D</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>iana</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span> played in the university's orchestra. </span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>She was a prodigy. The university knew how valuable she was, and paid her tuition in full as long as she kept her grades up and continued to perform for the orchestra.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> Piano, violin, guitar, flute, cello and so many other instruments I couldn’t even name. All of them sounded heavenly in her hands, but even her skill with those can’t hold a handle to that voice of hers. I tell you, the first time I heard her sing it was as if the heavens had opened and placed an angel on the stage.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> I met her backstage after that, and I won’t lie to you, I was smitten. Diana was the sweetest woman I’d ever met. Smart as hell too, that girl outwitted me left and right. A mischievous little imp she was.” the fond smile on Rose’s face stirs something inside Piers. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “If she was so special, why the fuck did she end up back in Spikemuth. Why’d she end up like all the other Omegas? Couldn’t have meant that much too ya if ya couldn’t even bother to save her from that fate.” the smile fades, and Rose looks away. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>After what happened, I searched everywhere for her. From Postwick to Hulbury up to Circhester and down to Motostoke. I even went to Spikemuth, but there was no sign of her. Truthfully, I assumed if it was so hard to find her, she must not want to be found.” </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “What do you mean, ‘After what happened?’” Piers stops Rose, “What happened?” the tension returns, and for the first time since meeting, anger passes over the CEO’s face. A low growl rumbles from deep in his chest, the overwhelming scent of roses filling the room even more fully than before. For the first time since meeting, Piers is reminded Rose is, in fact, an Alpha, and just as capable of anger. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>They wronged Diana. Took that vibrant and talented creature and broke her down till she couldn’t stand. Ruined her life, tore up her scholarships, and left her out to rot. I swear to God I lost faith in humanity that day.” </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “What happened. What did they do to my mom?” Piers doesn’t like how small he sounds when he asks that. </span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>Feeling like a little boy waiting to be told the ending to a scary story, he wants to hide his face and cover his ears. However, he’s too invested to stop now. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “A tale as old as time. She was out late one night, coming back from the library when a couple of Alpha’s jumped her. Dragged her back to their dorm and raped her all night long. The police questioned every one of course. It was truly amazing, a dorm full of students, and not a single one heard her scream. Not a single one saw her bring dragged in. Not a single one knew a damn thing. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> You said it yourself Piers, money covers up everything. Hush money was passed under the table, and charges were dropped. The school spun a story to cover everything up. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> A young, poor Omega from Spikemuth used a night of rough sex to try and blackmail rich, well-to-do Alphas out of their money. It was their word against hers, and you know who people believed.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> I was in Hoen when all this happened. By the time I returned and learned of what happened, Diana’s things were cleaned out and I couldn’t find a trace of her anywhere. If anyone knew where she’d gone, they didn’t say a thing to me.” the story comes to a halt, and once more, the air around Piers feels too thick to breathe. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>It wasn’t fair. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> It wasn’t fucking fair. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> The Omega nearly jumped out of his skin when a warm hand is pressed to his cheek, his trance broken. Rose is closer now, gently wiping away the tears he wasn’t even aware he was crying. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “I had no idea Diana had a son. I had no idea she went back to Spikemuth. If I’d known, I’d have taken her away from there, given her the chance she deserved. Please, for my own closure, can you tell me what happened to her?” </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> Piers takes a shaky breath, nearly choking as he tried to fill his lungs. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “Three days after she went missing they found her in a dumpster. They said the cause of death was an overdose and it was ruled an accident, but...but I know my mom. She didn’t do drugs. She didn’t want to die. Mom...mom didn’t want to leave us behind.” </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “Us?” </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “M-me and my little sister...” Piers sobs, “She knew we wouldn’t stand a chance. Mom didn’t want us to end up like her. She tried, she tried so hard and it didn’t fucking matter!” his voice cracks under the strain, and he crumbles into a heap. Arms wrapped tightly around his knees, hair falling around him like a veil, sobbing heavily. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> Rose doesn’t say anything else, but pulls the sobbing boy into his arms. He strokes his hair, rubbing small circles over his back.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “I want my mom!” </span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>Piers cries, fingers coming up to rake through his hair, digging into his scalp. “I don’t wanna raise Marnie on my own! I don’t wanna be a whore! I want my mom! It isn’t fair, I just want my mom!” he doesn’t struggle when he’s lifted from his spot and placed in Rose’s lap. There’s no fight left in him when Rose forces his hands away from his head and holds them tightly against his chest. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “I’m so sorry Piers. You didn’t deserve this. Your mother didn’t deserve this,” Rose soothes, “I couldn’t save your mother, please, let me save you.” </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “I don’t wanna be saved. I wanna be with my mom.” Piers cries, each sob shaking his whole body violently. Rose, holds him tighter, a deep growl rumbling in his chest. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “You don’t mean that.” </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “Yes I do!” Piers sobs, “I don’t want to go home! I don’t want to be fucked anymore, I don’t want to be touched anymore! I just wanna go to sleep and be with my mom!” he feels Rose tense around him. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “It’s not fucking fair!” Piers is practically screaming now, and his throat feels hot and raw, “I’m only fifteen! It isn’t fair! I don’t wanna be a whore! I don’t wanna get pregnant! I don’t wanna be an Omega! I just want my mom!” he continues to cry, screaming and swearing as every wave of pent of despair and frustration washes over him. There was nothing else he could do, no words could convey just how deep the wounds ran, and how badly they burned. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> Piers isn’t sure how long it goes on, </span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>how long he’s held against this stranger’s chest crying and shrieking for his mother. Swearing at his lot in life and overwhelmed by just how much grief he’s been storing. When he finally starts to calm, his face is a mess of snort, spit, and tears, hair plastered against his lips and cheeks. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> Rose finally loosens his grip, letting Piers sit up weakly. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “I-I ruined your suit.” he chokes, another sob bubbling up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean t-” the words stop when a finger is pressed to his lips, hushing him. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “No more apologizing.” it’s a command, and for once, Piers doesn’t feel like disobeying. “Sit here, and don’t move till I come back.” Rose rolls Piers into the empty spot next to him on the bed, and the poor Omega can’t find the energy to try and move. His legs feel numb, heart still throbbing painfully hard, head fuzzy. Piers simply stares up at the ceiling, a few stray sobs still finding the strength to tear themselves free. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “Sit upright for me.” Rose returns, placing a bowl of warm water to the side and dipping a hand towel into it. Piers weakly pulls himself upright, slouching so that his hair covered his ruined face. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “From now on, you’ll call me if you need money.” Rose says, pulling back the locks of black and white hair, “Tell me where you live and I’ll cover your rent.” the warm cloth feels Heavenly against Piers face as Rose tenderly wipes away the tears and snot. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “I’ll give you my personal number. You can call me day or night. A</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>ll of</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span> you</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>r</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span> want</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>s</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span> or need</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>s</span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span> will be taken care of.” </span>
  </span>
  <span>
    <span>Piers nearly purrs, leaning into the warmth of the cloth. There’s a trace amount of Jasmine and Lavender mixed into the water, causing his already exhausted mind to shut down even further. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span> “From now on, I will always be there.”</span>
  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please comment! It helps give me motivation!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For the first time since arriving, Piers saw beyond the bedroom he’d been confined to. He had expected it to be a sizable suite, not big enough to have two bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen, living room, and office. Most houses in Spikemuth didn’t have that much room.</p><p>“What would you like for breakfast?” Piers is hardly listening as he walks around in awe. The living area was decorated in cream and chocolate colors, with leather furniture and dark hardwood flooring. Right in the center of the room was a grand piano, pure white and shining like marble, a matching duet bench placed right before the keys. A large bay window overlooked the city from what Piers can only guess is the top floor.</p><p>From so high up, the city almost looked pretty.</p><p>Almost.</p><p>“Not hungry.” the Omega mumbles, tugging at the hem of his shirt. His clothing has been ruined that night in the alley, with Rose donating some of his old clothing in place of the soiled garments he’d come in. The dress shirt was hard too big on his skinny frame, draping him like a dress.</p><p>“You have to eat something. Tell me what you’d like, anything at all!” finally, Piers acknowledges the voice and turns to see Rose standing in the kitchen, dressed in neon blue shorts and a bright yellow polo shirt. It’s tacky and hideous, and Piers can only think to describe it as ‘eye burning.’</p><p>“Where the hell did you find those clothes?”</p><p>Rose looks hurt.</p><p>“Oleana asked the same thing...Anyhow, don’t change the subject. What would you like to eat?” heaving a sigh, Piers tries to ignore the pang of hungry in his gut. Getting used to eating three meals a day wasn’t going to do him any good once he’s back home.</p><p>“I’m not hungry.” he reiterates.</p><p>“Either you tell me what you like or I call Magnolia over here to force-feed you. Your choice.” Rose only sounds like he’s half-joking, and Piers decides it isn’t worth the trouble of arguing over.</p><p>“Toast.”</p><p>“Toast isn’t a meal. Toast...Toast is the vilest of breakfast foods.” Rose crinkles his nose, and Piers can’t help but snort.</p><p>“What the hell did toast ever do to you?” with one last look around, the Omega goes over to the kitchen counter, leaning up against it to take the weight off his aching knees. Still swollen and bruised, he wonders how long it’ll be before he can properly kneel on the ground again…</p><p>“It’s stale bread. Stale, hard, crunchy bread. No matter what you smoother it with, it’s still just ruined bread.” Rose states.</p><p>“Some of us only have stale bread to eat.” Piers feels some satisfaction when Rose looks taken aback.</p><p>“That...is true. I didn’t take that into consideration.”</p><p>“Make me whatever the hell you want. I don’t care.” Piers waves him off, turning away to return to the living area. He hears the oven click on, a few pots and pans clanging together.</p><p>“Hey, Rose. Tell me, why the fuck does a hotel this nice have a kitchen? Why’d anyone want to cook if you have the money to order anything you want from anywhere in the city?” the Alpha perks up upon hearing his name, grinning.</p><p>“Some of us enjoy cooking. It’s a good way to unwind after a long day.”</p><p>“All I want to do after a long day is lay in bed and listen to the radio.” Piers mumbles. The idea that someone would want to waste their free time cooking when they could easily hire someone else to do it for them was beyond him.</p><p>The pain in his knees was growing worse. Running his fingers over the back of the sofa, Piers can’t bring himself to sit on it. The dark brown leather was free of any cracks, scratches, or imprints. Perfectly maintained. He wasn’t going to be the one to ruin it. Instead, he opts to sit at the piano. Pulling the dress shirt down over his knees to cover the bruises and scrapes, he carefully wedges himself between the keys and onto the duet bench.</p><p>“Ah, do you like it?” Rose comes into the living area, wiping his hands clean on a washcloth. Piers gives a small nod before Rose continues. “I don’t play myself, but I’ve heard this is from particularity famous company-”</p><p>“Bösendorfer. Mom used to dream of owning one of their pianos. Said she used to play one back at University and it had the best sound she’d ever heard.” Piers skims his fingers over the keyboard, admiring the gold inlay of the flat and sharp keys.</p><p>“Do you know how to play?” Rose inquires, and Piers shrugs.</p><p>“A little. Mom bought an old broken piano from a...client. Had a busted leg, broken petals, the housing lid snapped clean in two. Somehow she worked her magic and fixed it up enough to work. Didn’t sound great, but it wasn’t total shit. Still don’t know how she manages to do that.” his fingers mime over the keys, but he doesn’t dare press down.</p><p>“Go on. Play! I’d love to hear!” Rose smiles warmly. Piers hesitates.</p><p>“It won’t sound good. Been almost a year since I’ve touched one.”</p><p>“Practice makes perfect. Please, I’d like to hear what you can play.” Rose continues to insist. Nervous excitement bubbles up inside Piers for the first time in years. Every part of him wanted to press down on the keys, to put his heart and soul into it no matter how terrible it might sound.</p><p>“If your ears bleed, it’s your own fault.” dragging his fingertips over the keys, he presses a few haphazardly. The notes are crisp and clear, a far cry from the off-key shit this mother’s piano would produce. Taking a deep breath, he closes his eyes and tries to remember the last song his mother taught him to play.</p><p>The first few notes come slowly, with caution. Steadily building up into a proper tune, and though he misses a few notes here and there, fingers slipping off the keys at times or accidentally pressing two at once, he’s proud he remembers most all of it.</p><p>“See! That wasn’t bad at all!” Rose grins, “Do you know anything else?” Piers shifts on the seat, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. Part of him wants to storm off and lock himself up in the bedroom again, but part of him is truly enjoying himself.</p><p>“I...wrote a song myself. Not no good, but...I know all the notes at least.”</p><p>“I’d be honored to hear.” he knows Rose is simply flattering him, but for once, Piers doesn’t care.</p><p>Taking another deep breath, he puts his fingers back to the keyboard, and starts once more. His confidence much higher, as the notes come flooding back to him.</p><p>“<em>As the stars shine upon my filthy soul, </em></p><p>
  <em>I pray to a god I don’t believe in, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>To make me whole. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>As the moon mocks my sorry existence, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I pray to an angel who doesn’t care, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>For pittance. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>If I had my way</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’d join the ghost who haunts me every night,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>On this dreary day.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>If I had my way, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’d sleep deep below the waves, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>With no guilt on my filthy soul.” </em>
</p><p>He comes to a stop, expecting to hear Rose’s thickly layered flatterer. Instead, Piers is met with silence. Curiously, he peeks over his shoulder and finds the older man looking at him with wide, misty eyes. Unease rolls over the Omega.</p><p>“You...sound so much like Diana,” Rose whispers.</p><p>“I’ve heard that before.” Piers scoffs rolling his eyes. “Everyone says I’m just like her.”</p><p>“I can see why. Not many possess such talent. You have a gift Piers.” that only worsens his mood.</p><p>“A lot of good its done me. No one gives two shits if I know my way around an instrument or if I can hit a few notes. Didn’t care that mom could do it, and they don’t care if I can.” suddenly, Piers regrets touching that damn piano. His mother was better at it than he would ever be, and she still ended up ruined. He was doomed to fall even harder.</p><p>“That isn’t true. You just haven’t found someone who can help you cultivate that gift.” Rose gives another smile, and Piers' irritation only grew.</p><p>“Let me guess. You’d be happy to help me?”</p><p>“As a matter of fact, I-” Piers cuts the Alpha off, standing up abruptly.</p><p>“Look, whatever feeling you had towards my mom, don’t matter now. I don’t want or need your pity. You wouldn’t do this for anyone else and I know you’re only doing it because you feel guilty that my mom died because you couldn’t save her.” his tone is sharp, filled with resentment. “After today, you won’t ever see me again, and you can go back to your normal life, feeling satisfied you help the poor orphaned son of an old flame not die in a back alley.” the hate bubbling up inside him is overwhelming.</p><p>Rose stays quiet, and Piers is certain he’s gone too far this time.</p><p>Bolting for the door, he ignores the screaming pain in his knees and he leaves before Rose can say another word.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING!<br/>This chapter contains graphic depictions of self harm and suicial thoughts. If such topics are upsetting to you, please no not continue any farther.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The pain feels like fire under his skin, every inch of his body is telling him to stop. Heart pounding like a jackhammer against his chest, lungs so overworked Piers is certain they will burst. Though no matter how great the pain, he doesn’t stop running. All through Spikemuth, through the alleys and darting across the roads. Crashing into people as he goes, paying no mind to their angry shouts and death threats.</p>
<p>He doesn’t stop till he’s outside his apartment once more, throwing open the metal gates and bolting up the two flights of stairs to his room. The few items he had stuffed into his purse was long lost to thieves or Rose himself, but in a moment of impeccable foresight, he had an extra key hidden in one of the hanging potted plants. Too tall for nearly anyone else in the building to reach, and too dead for anyone to bother watering it.</p>
<p>Once inside, the deadbolts and padlocks are clicked into place, and Piers goes straight to his mother’s bedroom. Falling onto the old creaky mattress, he pulls one of the pillows to his chest, clinging onto it and sobbing into the musty fabric. Every night for the first three months of her death, Piers had slept in her bed, her residual scent being the only comfort he could find in his misery. Now, nearly a year later, it was gone, leaving him with nothing.</p>
<p>The searing pain in his knees and ankles were only matched by the burning in his lungs. Each heavy sob chocked him even further, black and white spots blurring his vision. Some of the bandaged wounds had reopened, Piers can feel the blood trickling down his sides and chest, but he can’t bring himself to care.</p>
<p>“Fuck!” he screamed. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”</p>
<p>It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair.</p>
<p>“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he releases the pillow and brings his hands to his head, raking his nails over his scalp and pulling at his hair.</p>
<p>“That rich bastard...Ya could have been set for life!” one of the many lessons he’d been taught from a young age was to never bite the hand that feeds you, but here he was, tearing the hand off at the wrist and leaving a bloody stump behind.</p>
<p>“Ya spread your legs for anyone else who pays ya, couldn’t swallow ya fuckin pride long enough to get a few meals and your rent paid?” his hysterical sobs are mixed with laughter, head spinning as Piers tries to stand.</p>
<p>“What a fucking stupid bitch ya are. Who fuckin cares if he’s a gross old man! You’d fucked worse! You coulda had it all! Coulda had better...couldn’t swallow your pride but you can sure swallow cum!” his knees finally gave way, and he crumbles to the floor. Hair falling around him in a tangled mess, he starts to crawl towards the bathroom.</p>
<p>“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” when he finally reaches the cool tile floor of the bathroom, his shirt is spotted crimson from his reopened wounds.</p>
<p>“Dumb fucking cunt ass shit bag whore!” Piers jerks the under sink cabinet open, reaching into a small plastic bin that kept the random items he was always losing. Out he pulls a black and yellow box cutter.</p>
<p>“Shoulda left ya to die on the street. Just like mom aren’t ya? Gonna end up there soon enough anyway, why the fuck does it matter when? Fucking bastard, shitty stupid fucking bastard!” he snaps the blade up and plunges it into his wrist, dragging it down long and hard. The skin splits in an instant, blood oozing up in streams, trickling down his hand over his fingers.</p>
<p>“Couldn’t just be a good little slut. A rich man’s pet...would it have been so bad?”</p>
<p>Again and again, he slices at his wrists, forearms, thighs, and ankles. Anything exposed was shredded to a bloody pulp. However, the pain brings clarity, and with it, even more regret. Piers finally stops, breath coming in shallow gasps as his vision clears and he sees just what he’s done.</p>
<p>
  <em>It’s eight days after his thirteenth birthday, four days after his heat comes to an end. The dull residual ache was still throbbing under his skin, the intense need to be touched lingering in his mind. No one had told Piers just how bad the first heat was, no one had told him how little control he would have over himself. How little control he would have over his body. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> How far an Alpha would go to get to him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> The collar around his neck feels like iron, weighing him down and choking the life from his lungs. No matter how hard he tugs at the band, it doesn’t budge an inch. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “From now on, you have to wear this at all times. No matter where you are, where you go, or what you do. Sleeping, bathing, eating, it doesn’t matter. It never comes off.” Diana clipped it around his neck the minute his heat had started to subside, the first rays of clarity coming to him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Mama, I don’t wanna wear it. It’s too tight,” he whined, weakly pawing at the leather strap. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “It’s all I have. You have to keep it on.” nails scraping across the silver buckle, Piers isn’t expecting to find a lock attached. </em>
  <em>Pull and pull and pull as he might, Piers only succeeded in choking himself further. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “</em>
  <em>I’m sorry baby,” Diana whispered, stroking his hair, “But an Omega without a collar is doomed to a life of misery.” she doesn’t say what she really means. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> An Omega is doomed to a life of misery regardless. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> She leaves him alone to rest, two clients waiting in her own room. Locking the bedroom door behind her, Piers is left alone. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Stumbling from his bed, only one thing rings in his brain. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> A life of misery. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Those Alphas hurt his mother, day and night. The bruises and bites she tried so hard to hide only a tiny glimpse into his future. Black eyes, busted lips, and battered limbs. Being used and abused, fucked until he died. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> The scissors are dull, but with enough determination, Piers mangles his wrists enough to expose muscle. It hurts like hell, and he’s ashamed by just how good it feels. It takes his mind off the heat boiling in his belly, off the terror of living each day at the mercy of an Alpha’s needs. </em>
</p>
<p><em> The last thing he can remember was the door to his bedroom clicking unlocked, and his mother screaming like a banshee </em><em>and</em> <em>wailing “My baby!”</em></p>
<p>“Fuck...fuck...fuck I’m sorry mom!” the box cutter clatters to the floor, and Piers gives another sob.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry mama, I’m so sorry!” he scrambles to his feet, but his knees are still too weak. It was all he could manage to crawl to the toilet and grab the toilet paper from beside it. Pressing it to his open wounds, the blood mixes with his tears, splattering all over the floor.</p>
<p>“I didn’t mean it! I don’t wanna die!” he curls into himself, forehead coming to rest against the frigid floor. “I won’t leave Marnie, I promise I won’t!” he swallows hard and thick, panic rising up.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry mama, I don’t leave Marnie!” stomach twisting, the room starts to spin. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” and once more, everything fades to black.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is just the bullshit exposistion chapter. The next chapter gets back into the interesting bits.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Oleana washes her hands thoroughly, scrubbing under her nails and between her long, thin fingers. There was a chip in the pale pink nail polish, around half a centimeter long, on her ring finger. She made a mental note to call the local salon and have an appointment made for after work that day.</p><p>Anything short of perfection was unacceptable.</p><p>Leaving the women’s bathroom, her heels clicked against the floor in a perfect rhythm. Shiny black Louboutin red bottom heels. A Christmas gift from the Chairman, and a sign of how well she was doing at her job. None of the other office workers had been given anything more than a cheap fruit basket that she herself had ordered in place of the Chairman.</p><p>The eyes of every man, woman, Alpha, Beta, and Omega in the offer glare into her as she breezes past them, nose turned up in a show of disgust. Oleana didn’t believe they were below her, but any sign of weakness was just inviting someone to try and take her place. She hadn’t become the Chairman’s personal assistant by making friends after all.</p><p>Three knocks to the Chairman’s door, and she lets herself in without being asked. It didn’t matter what she walked in on, Oleana would see none of it. Blind to anything and everything she wasn’t explicitly instructed to view.</p><p>“Good morning Sir.” she gives a small bow, and takes her customary seat in front of his desk. Rose had his back to her, arms crossed as he stared out over Wyndon. Oleana waits patently to be spoken to, glancing down at her phone to revise the schedule she had planned for the day.</p><p>The salon could fit her in at 5:00 P.M. Perfect.</p><p>“Ollie, tell me, what did you think of him?” she stops what she’s doing and looks up. Cocking an eyebrow, she purses her lips.</p><p>“Who sir? The boy from the hotel?”</p><p>“Yes, that one.” Rose turns to face her, pulling his chair out from the desk and sitting with a heavy sigh. Leaning onto the desk, he rests his chin atop the back of his hand.</p><p>“Do you want my honest thoughts?” Oleana knew better than to speak her mind without asking first. She only made that mistake once, and the punishment made sure she’d never do it again.</p><p>“Your honest to God thoughts,” he assures her.</p><p>She draws herself up, sitting with poise and elegance, lips twitching up into a cruel smirk.</p><p>“That boy is filth. Street trash. Not even fit to lick the shit off the bottom of your shoes.” Rose’s laugh bellows out, and he wipes a tear from his eye.</p><p>“Ah, Ollie, your honesty can be so refreshing. Never change.”</p><p>“Of course Sir.” her head lowers again, blond hair falling into her face enough to hide the smile she wore. Pleased as punch with the praise.</p><p>“Now, I need you to find out where he lives.” she isn’t expecting that. Her head jolts back up, smile gone.</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>“Find out where the boy lives. I’m not through with him.” she gives Rose a look of utter disgust.</p><p>“What on Earth could you want with that thing.” his good mood vanishes in an instant, eyes narrowing, but his smile didn’t fade.</p><p>“I don’t think that’s your business, now is it?” a chill runs down her spine, shrinking back down into her chair, Oleana makes herself as small as possible.</p><p>“You’re right sir. Forgive me, I spoke out of place.”</p><p>“Good girl. Now, get me his address, medical records, education history, and anything else that might be important. I want to know everything there is to know about him.” Oleana makes note of it in her phone, taking a brief second to look over her messages.</p><p>One new message from her manicurist.</p><p>
  <em>Would you like your usual color of Fairy Pink?</em>
</p><p>“Anything else I can do for you sir?” Oleana asks, and Rose nods.</p><p>“Yes, he mentioned having a little sister...Marnie. I want you to find out where she is and who is currently caring for her.” Oleana makes note of it before texting her manicurist back.</p><p>
  <em>No. Today I’d like Cinnabar </em>
  <em>Flaming Red.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>~~~</em>
</p><p>Piers is woken to a sharp stinging against his cheek. Eyes blinking the haze away, he feels his whole body shaking.</p><p>“Piers, Piers! I swear to God you better wake up or I’ll kill you myself!” it’s loud. Too loud. He groans, trying to lift himself upright, but his neck can’t support the weight of his own head.</p><p>“Piers! Hey, talk to me!” he blinks again, the room coming into focus this time. Ginger hair is all he sees at first, followed by familiar heart and star clips.</p><p>“Sonia?” his throat feels raw, be it from dehydration or the screaming he’d done the right before, he wasn’t sure.</p><p>“Goddamn, it Piers what were you thinking!?” Sonia lets out a sound somewhere between a groan and a sob. Her hands cup his face gently, stroking his cheeks softly. Her scent is surprisingly soothing, somewhere between freshly mowed grass and cedarwood.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry.” closing his eyes, Piers just lays there, letting Sonia stoke his hair and cheeks with sisterly tenderness. It was the soft sort of contact he’d been craving these past few months, and Piers didn’t want it to end.</p><p>“You scared the hell out of me! You did a number to your arms...I patched you up the best I could, but you need to go to a clinic.”</p><p>“M’fine.” he mumbles, whining pitifully when Sonia stops stroking his hair.</p><p>“You aren’t fine Piers. People who are fine don’t try to kill themselves.” well, she had a point there.</p><p>“It was a mistake. I know I shouldn’t have done it.”</p><p>“But you still did it.” there’s hurt in her voice, and Piers doesn’t like it one bit. Guilt rises in his chest, heart aching. Sonia was always so nice to him, and here he was half dead on his bathroom floor, worrying her.</p><p>Bathroom.</p><p>He was still in his house.</p><p>“How did you find me…?” opening his eyes, Piers sees her glaring down at him.</p><p>“Gran told me to find you. Said she’d been treating you for some injuries you got while ‘working’ and was worried you’d end up reopening your wounds. Sent me to find you and check on you.”</p><p>“Your Gran…? Wait, your Gran is Magnolia?” he’s fully conscious now.</p><p>“Yeah, she wouldn’t give me the details, but I want to know where the fuck you’ve been the past week and how you ended up in her care!” Sonia demands, crossing her arms and huffing with irritation.</p><p>“I don’t think you want to know.” Piers mumbles, shimming himself up onto his elbows. Blood was pounding in his ears, making him dizzy all over again.</p><p>“Oh, I do want to know and I’m not leaving until you tell me everything.” carefully, she helps ease him onto his ass, letting him sit upright and lean against the sink. Sonia turns her attention from him and to the floor, silently using a towel to wipe up some of the non-congealed blood from the tile.</p><p>“Got into trouble...went into heat on the way home. Group of Alphas jumped me...you know how it goes.” Piers shrugs and Sonia’s eyes went wide. He hopes it’s enough to satisfy her.</p><p>“Oh my God Piers, what did they do to you?”</p><p>It wasn’t.</p><p>“Do I have to spell it out?” he snaps. “They gang-raped me. They held me down and fucked me till I passed out and fucked me some more.” again, the guilt creeps back when he sees how hurt she looks. He knows he shouldn’t be angry with her, Sonia was one of the only people in this town he could trust.</p><p>“Piers...I’m so sorry.” the tears in her eyes catch him off guard. “I should never have let you leave the shop on your own. I should have walked you home. I should have stayed with you.” the Alpha’s voice wavers, but he waves her off.</p><p>“One against five? Wouldn’t have helped. They probably woulda done it to you too. Doesn’t matter now. It’s done. It’s over.” the more he thinks on it, the more real it feels. It’s easier to block it out and forget it ever happened.</p><p>She doesn’t say anything else, but pulls him against her chest and holds him tight. Fingers tangling into his hair, Sonia sobs into his shoulder, hugging him with all the might in her body.</p><p>“I was so scared you’d been killed, Piers! I’ve been so worried about you...I looked everywhere but I couldn’t find you!” damn it all, stop bringing guilt into this. He can’t stomach hearing her cry like that, hearing how worried she actually was about his worthless life. Piers weakly returns the hug, body too weak to fully embrace her the way he wishes he could.</p><p>“I’m sorry Sonia...I didn’t mean to scare ya...” tears come to his own eyes, but he wills them away. Not again. He can’t cry anymore, his body wouldn’t be able to handle it.</p><p>“When Granny called and told me she’d been treating some kid called Piers, my heart stopped. I couldn’t believe it. I just knew you’d been left for dead somewhere...” she rubs her cheek against the top of Piers’ head.</p><p>“Your Gran helped save me...so I guess I owe her a thanks...”</p><p>“That’s what I can’t figure out,” she lets go for a moment, looking Piers in the eyes, “Granny works in Wydon, why was she down here in Spikemuth?”</p><p>“That’s...a long story.”</p><p>“I’ve got time.” Sonia huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. Piers laughs weakly, giving a small semblance of a smile.</p><p>“Fine. But only if you tell me how you got into my apartment.” the pout on Sonia’s face fades to a sheepish grin.</p><p>“Let’s just say...I owe you a new door.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Two chapters in one day? Who would have thought it possible?<br/>Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A week goes by without incident. Piers keeps himself locked up in his apartment, foregoing any and all social contact while he impatiently waits for Valnide to come back into stock. The news is reporting on it hourly, insisting that stock would be delivered before the months end, but the longer it goes on, the more bullshit the promise seemed.</p>
<p>The online market had become a booming business, with single pills selling tenfold their original cost. Along with the reselling of products came the risk of counterfeits. Omegas were dropping left and right after purchasing what they thought to be legitimate drugs, only to swallow a mouthful of powdered bleach and Tylenol dyed yellow and smashed down into a pretty little tablet.</p>
<p>Piers wants to laugh at how stupid they were to purchases medicine offline from unknown sources, but in his own desperation, had considered it all well.</p>
<p>Of all the things he’d left behind at the hotel, those bottles of Valnide that Rose had gifted him were the one regret he had. Things would have been much easier if he’d just grabbed that stupid little bag before running off like a bitch with his tail between his legs.</p>
<p>Sonia was his only saving grace in such a time. Bringing by a bagful of groceries every night after work, including fresh-baked pastries she made herself. Staying for an hour or so and having some tea and cake with the Omega before packing up and leaving him in isolation once again.</p>
<p>Tonight was no different.</p>
<p>The knock came half-past six, and he unbolts the brand new door Sonia had so graciously paid to have installed after tearing the last one right off its hinges with a sledgehammer and pure determination.</p>
<p>“Evening Sonia.” he waves, watching as she places her daily delivery of goods on the floor next to the dining table.</p>
<p>“How was work today?” Piers asks, pulling her favorite mug from the sink. It was pink with little paw prints all over, the handle coming out to curve into a heart. He fills it with her favorite.</p>
<p>Green tea with honey and two spoonfuls of milk.</p>
<p>“It was fine. Though I am getting real tired of having to turn people away every fifteen minutes. Everyone is so desperate to get their hands on some Valnide they’re camping outside to be the first inside when we open. Like, it’s not going to help, if we get any, the whole town is going to know before it arrives which is just going to cause chaos.” she groans, kicking her heels off and plopping herself down at the dining room table.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what I’m gonna do.” Piers mumbles, “I’m late on my rent again, and my landlord is already pissed about the door having to be replaced. I know he’s going to be coming around soon and demanding his money.”</p>
<p>“Come on, I paid to have the door replaced! I even had someone do it the next day!” Sonia whines, “Like, doesn’t he know what you’re going through?”</p>
<p>“What’s it matter? Me and every other Omega in the city are all equally fucked. He’s just been nicer cause my mom died.” Piers sets the tea in front of Sonia with the honey jar. Scooping four tablespoons of it into her tea, Piers snickers.</p>
<p>“Green tea isn’t good for you if you load it down with sugar ya know.”</p>
<p>“Piss off Piers.” Sonia flips him off with a fake scowl.</p>
<p>“Anything else new?” he reaches for the grocery bag, curious what goodies she’d surprised him with this week. However, before the Omega can rummage through it, Sonia jerks it away. Looking up at her with confusion, his stomach twists when he sees her serious expression.</p>
<p>“Hey...we need to talk about something.” those words always brought about a terror Piers couldn’t describe. What had he done? Was he taking advantage of her kindness? Did Sonia want him to start paying for those groceries?</p>
<p>Did she want her payment in cash or with sex?</p>
<p>“What did I do.” he tries to joke, but her expression doesn’t soften.</p>
<p>“Listen, I know this isn’t something you want to talk about, but I can’t just ignore it.” Piers squirms under her sharp gaze.</p>
<p>“Cut it out Sonia, you’re freaking me out.” that gets her attention, her face softening ever so slightly.</p>
<p>“No, Piers, I’m not trying to scare you. It’s serious though, so I need you to listen to me, ok?” he swallows thickly and takes a seat opposite her at the table. Pulling his own mug of tea closer, Piers begins to stir in his own spoonful of honey.</p>
<p>“Ok, go on, out with it.”</p>
<p>Sonia fidgets with her mug, running her finger along the rim, tapping the sides for a moment before she finds the right words.</p>
<p>“You went into heat the night you were raped, right?” she speaks slowly, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. Piers can’t blame her, he isn’t in the mood to discuss it either.</p>
<p>“That’s what I said, wasn’t it?”</p>
<p>“You know without the Valnide in your system and with your heat coming on for the first time in over a year…” she trails off, digging into the bag she’d pulled by her feet. Boxes and bags crinkle around as she searches, pulling something Piers can’t make out into her lap.</p>
<p>“I know you won’t like this, but I have to mention it or else I’ll have failed you as your friend. So...don't freak out on me, ok?” Piers absolutely hates where this conversation is going, his stomach lurking and nausea overwhelming him.</p>
<p>“What the fuck is it Sonia.” he chokes out, trying his best to keep calm. Sonia glances down at her lap before handing the small box over to the Omega.</p>
<p>It was lightweight, colored pink, and blue, with flowery text over the front of the box.</p>
<p>A pregnancy test.</p>
<p>The first impulse he has is to chuck the box against the wall and to tell Sonia to get the hell out of his apartment. Instead, he hands the box back to her, shaking his head.</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Piers, I know you don’t want to think about it, I understand-”</p>
<p>“You don’t understand!” he slams his hands onto the table, “You don’t understand at all!” she doesn’t flinch through, reaching over to place her hand atop his.</p>
<p>“Listen to me Piers. There’s a good chance you could be pregnant. If you are, you have options, but you only have those options for a short period of time. Denying it won’t make it go away. Please, just take the test and we can discuss things from there.” he hates that she’s right. Piers knows Sonia is being perfectly reasonable and it was his own terror blinding his rational thoughts.</p>
<p>“I can’t be...” He doesn’t want to say it.</p>
<p>Pregnant.</p>
<p>That word tastes foul on his tongue.</p>
<p>“You might not be!” Sonia says, “You totally might not be! However, you could be. Your scent has been...off lately.” his gut twists again. Scent? His scent? His nasty scent that everyone in the town mocked him for?</p>
<p>“W-what? What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“Your scent...it’s been sweeter lately. A common early indicator of pregnancy, but it could also be hormonal changes from being off the Valnide.” Sonia does her best to be reasonable, and Piers does appreciate it.</p>
<p>Though it doesn’t take away the paralyzing fear overwhelming him.</p>
<p>“Sonia, you don’t understand,” desperation is sinking in, “I can’t be pregnant. I can’t be. I. Can’t.” the look on her face just makes it worse.</p>
<p>There it is again.</p>
<p>Pity.</p>
<p>Piers is so tired of people pitying him.</p>
<p>“You could be through, that’s why I-”</p>
<p>“No!” he shouts, jumping up from his chair. “I can’t be! I can’t be Sonia! I can’t have a kid! I can’t have a baby! I can’t even take care of myself, what the fuck would I do with a kid? I-I’ve got Marnie to think about! I gotta take her in! I can’t be pregnant, I can’t!” trembling hands press against his belly. He was just as skinny as always, if he was pregnant he’d know! There was no way he wouldn’t.</p>
<p>“Piers. If you are pregnant, you don’t have to go through with it. I can talk with my grandmother and bring you to a clinic in Wyndon. She’s been worried about you as well, you won’t have to go through it alone.” Sonia stands as well, the pregnancy test still in hand.</p>
<p>“I ain’t got the money for an abortion Sonia. You know that!” Piers yelps, “You know how hard it is to get into one of those places! They’re booked months out! By the time I’d get in it would be too late!” it wasn’t fair. Only six legal clinics in the whole region.</p>
<p>However, there were plenty of underground ones.</p>
<p>“We don’t have to think about that now. You might not even be pregnant, I just want you to check.” cautiously, she eases the test into Piers’ hands. He grips it tightly, scowling down at the happy looking couple on the back.</p>
<p>Who the fuck was ever happy about taking one of these damn things?</p>
<p>“Fine. Fine. Whatever. I’ll take the fucking thing.” the Omega storms off to the bathroom, closing the door behind him and pulling his pants down.</p>
<p>Piss on the stick and wait.</p>
<p>“Gross,” he mumbles, tossing the box to the side and staring down at the little plastic stick in his hand. It looked so innocuous. Not that it could decide his entire future right then and there. It makes him hate it even more. Anger and fear building into a volatile concoction of seething rage and nauseating terror.</p>
<p>Is this how his mom felt?</p>
<p>Piers knows he was her firstborn, but not the first she’d carried. He wasn’t supposed to know, but talk around town was hard to ignore. Alphas spoke about her past pregnancies, how she’d gone to seedy underground clinics hidden away in the bowls of Spikemuth. They mocked him more than once, asking how it felt to be the chosen one. The first one to be born into this world. The firstborn son of a whore.</p>
<p>His hands are shaking terribly, vision blurring over with tears.</p>
<p>His mother had gotten pregnant for the first time at fifteen.</p>
<p>Bile rises in his throat and he struggles to keep it down. He’d sworn that he wouldn’t end up like her. He’d sworn he wouldn’t make her mistakes. Not after everything she sacrificed for him.</p>
<p>It wasn’t his fault Valnide wasn’t in stock.</p>
<p>It wasn’t his fault he’d gone into heat.</p>
<p>It wasn’t his fault a pack of Alphas raped him.</p>
<p>Finally, he closes his eyes and shoves the test between his legs. It’s disgusting, and he knows his missed half the time, urine dripping from his hand when he pulls the test back up.</p>
<p>“Gross, gross, gross.” he nearly gags, leaving the test on the toilet seat and scrubbing his hands clean in the sink. Pulling his pants back up, Piers checks the box.</p>
<p>Seven minutes.</p>
<p>He’d have to wait seven minutes to find out if his life was over.</p>
<p>The bathroom suddenly feels too small, and Piers clamors to open the door. He isn’t surprised to see Sonia squatting against the wall, playing with her hair.</p>
<p>“How’d it go?” she looks up at him with worried eyes. It’s the first time he notices just how green they were.</p>
<p>Or blue?</p>
<p>Somewhere in between?</p>
<p>“It said it takes seven minutes.” he drops to the floor next to her, head falling back to hit the wall. Luckily, with so much hair he can hardly feel the thud.</p>
<p>“I’ll set my watch.” she hums, and Piers wants to tell her not to, he doesn’t plan on going in there to check it anyway. That test and rot into a mold pile for all he cares. They sit together in silence for two whole minutes before Piers can’t stand it any longer.</p>
<p>“Hey, Sonia.”</p>
<p>“Yes Piers?”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry I yelled at you.” he jumps when a hand is placed on his shoulder.</p>
<p>“It’s ok Piers. I get it. You don’t have to be sorry.” there’s a brief second of silence before Piers turns to Sonia and throws himself against her. Sobbing loudly, he clings onto the Alpha for dear life.</p>
<p>“I’m so fucking scared!” he wails, “I don’t wanna be pregnant!” Sonia’s heart breaks apart, shifting to give him more room, she tangles her legs and arms around him. Holding on tightly, letting him cry out all the fear.</p>
<p>She smooths his hair out of his face, chewing on her bottom lip as she watches him cry into her shirt. Piers was much taller than her, even at fifteen, he towered over half the citizens of Spikemuth. Whenever he came into her shop, his face was always caked with makeup, and his clothes always too short and too tight, It was easy to forget just how young he was.</p>
<p>But here in the hallway, with no makeup and only a baggy sweater on, tears pouring down his face, Sonia is painfully aware he’s still just a child. Lost and alone in a world too cruel for most adults, let alone a teenager just starting to find his way in life.</p>
<p>“It’s gonna be ok.” she soothes, stroking her fingers through his hair. Black and white, long and thick. It doesn’t look like he’s properly brushed it in months.</p>
<p>“No it’s not!” he hiccups, “I don’t wanna have a baby!”</p>
<p>“Breathe Piers, you’re going to make yourself sick.” shifting her weight, she tries to get Piers to sit up on his own, but he lays against her limply. Too distraught to move.</p>
<p>“You don’t get it! You don’t know what those Alphas are like! They’ve been waiting for this to happen! They knew it would! They knew I’d end up like my mom!” she gives up on moving him, going back to simply holding onto him. Stroking his hair and rubbing his back, whispering soft comforts.</p>
<p>“I’m here for you. I’m not going to let you go through this alone.” he stills, sobs fading into gently cries.</p>
<p>“You’ll leave. Everyone always leaves,” he whispers, face pressed to her chest. “Mama and Marnie...all the Alphas who said they’d protect us...Everyone leaves.” Sonia is on the verge of tears herself now.</p>
<p>“I’m not leaving. I promise. I’m not going to let you go through any of this alone ever again.” she lifts his chin, wiping away his tears and pressing a chaste kiss to the top of his head.</p>
<p>“I don’t wanna have a baby,” he says again, exhausted. Before Sonia can offer any further comfort, her watch begins to beep.</p>
<p>Seven minutes was up.</p>
<p>“It’s time to check,” she whispers. Piers finally pulls himself off of her, shoulders sagging as he goes limp against the wall.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to know.” he sounds so tired, and Sonia can’t bring herself to insist her go and look. Instead, she gets to her feet and shuffles around him, stepping into the bathroom with nervous anticipation.</p>
<p>The test was where it was left, on the rim of the toilet. The box sitting nearby where it had been tossed.</p>
<p>With a wad of toilet paper she picks it up, comparing the results to the back of the box.</p>
<p>Piers closes his eyes, drawing his knees to his chest and burying his face into them. This couldn’t be happening. It had to be a bad dream. He’d wake up any moment, alone in his bed.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Piers doesn’t move when Sonia places a hand on his knees.</p>
<p>“Piers, look at me.” slowly, he peeks up at her through his hair, tears welling up in his eyes once more.</p>
<p>Don’t say it.</p>
<p>Please, don’t say it.</p>
<p>“The test was negative. You aren’t pregnant.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Piers needs a good friend and some serious therapy. Only one of which he gets.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I really do love comments, please consider leaving one if you enjoy my work!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Piers is up before noon for the first time in months. Showered and dressed in his usual black tank top and ripped up skinny jeans two sizes too small. The closest thing he had to ‘normal clothing’ in his closet. There was no point wasting any of his make up, only bothering with a quick smudge of eyeliner before starting on his hair.</p>
<p>The wooden brush can barely make a dent in his tangled lock. Ripping and tearing it through as quickly as he could, wincing and hissing each time he ripped out another knot.</p>
<p>Reflexively Piers grabs the empty bottle of Valnide, scowling when he remembers it was empty. Didn’t matter today though. Work was the last thing on his mind when he chucks the empty bottle into the trash bin and heads into the living room.</p>
<p>Glancing up at the wall clock, Piers frowns.</p>
<p>Still a few hours before he had to leave.</p>
<p>Normally he wouldn’t care, heading out as soon as he got the chance, but without his medication, he wouldn’t dare. Instead, he turns towards to kitchen with breakfast on his mind.</p>
<p>Sonia had brought him plenty of good food to chose from, Piers was starting to feel spoiled. Cereal, eggs, breakfast bars, and canned hash. Better than his usual two cups of coffee and a single slice of toast.</p>
<p>Knock, knock, knock.</p>
<p>The Omega freezes in his tracks, the sudden and loud bangs at the front door spooking him. Sonia couldn’t be bothered to visit before work, so the only logical person to be there was-</p>
<p>“Open the damn door!”</p>
<p>The landlord.</p>
<p>“Shit.” Piers growls, closing his eyes and holding his breath. Maybe if he didn’t make a sound, he’d give up and go away. If he just stayed still and acted like he wasn’t home…</p>
<p>“Open the fucking door or I’ll have the cops break it down!”</p>
<p>“Overdramatic fucker…” Piers reluctantly goes to the door and unlocks the chains and bolts, letting it swing open on its own accord. The little old fat man storms in past Piers, waving his cane about furiously.</p>
<p>“Listen here. I’ve been patient enough,” here it comes, Piers braces himself. “I’ve given you more than enough time. I’ve ignored the late checks and I even let slip the months you missed, but no more! I’ve got a family of my own to feed, and I’m not doing that by letting you freeload here for nothing!”</p>
<p>“Certainly don’t look like you’ve missed any meals.” Piers snarks back reflexively. The landlord whirls around, rage in his eyes. Pushing the tip of the cane into Piers’ chest, the old man continues.</p>
<p>“You ungrateful brat! You pack your shit and get out. I want you gone today. If you ain’t got your ass out of here by this time tomorrow, I’ll have the cops come down here and remove you, got it?”</p>
<p>“I ain’t got anywhere to go!” Piers swats the cane away, “What the fuck am I suppose to do?”</p>
<p>“How is that my problem?” the old man growls back, “You’ve had plenty of time to get your act together. Your mom never missed a check, and if she did,” the smile that passes over the old man’s chapped lips sends waves of disgust over Piers, “She made it up to me.”</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>Not again.</p>
<p>“Don’t bring my mom into this.” Piers snarls, lips curling back to show his teeth in furry. The landlord gives an amused grin, and it only angers the Omega more. With that the old man straightens up, leaning heavily onto his cane as he points towards groin.</p>
<p>“Tell you what kid, I’ll extend my good graces by one more month if you get on your knees and ask real nice. Put that pretty mouth to good use, ya get my drift?”</p>
<p>“Piss off old man, I ain’t doing that shit.” Piers is shaking with rage now, but the reality was setting in.</p>
<p>The fancy hotel with three meals a day was gone.</p>
<p>“Ey, fine with me. Have your bags packed and be gone before I get here tomorrow.” the old man shrugs, hobbling towards the door. The chill that goes down his spine freezes Piers to the core, and he hates himself for what he’s about to do.</p>
<p>“F-fine. Fine. Whatever. I’ll do it, just...just give me one more month.” pride be damned, homelessness was much more terrifying than sucking off some filthy old man. That he’d done a thousand times, once more for the sake of keeping a roof over his head was a small price to pay.</p>
<p>The landlord turns, stupid grin on his wrinkled face. No more words were exchanged as he hobbled over to the sofa and sat himself down. Unzipping his fly and pulling out his flaccid cock.</p>
<p>“On your knees.” two reluctant steps forward, and Piers drops to his knees before the old Alpha. Pain radiates down his calves and into his ankles, and he forgets just how sore he still was from that night.</p>
<p>Don’t think about that.</p>
<p>Not now.</p>
<p>A deep breath and he centers himself. It was just another blowjob, he’s done it a hundred times before. A thousand? Maybe more? It wasn’t as if he kept track.</p>
<p>“Go on, I don’t have all day.”</p>
<p>“The front door is still open.” a few extra seconds to bring himself back to the proper mindset of a whore. Not the spoiled pet he’d been under Rose’s care.</p>
<p>Stop it.</p>
<p>Stop thinking about that.</p>
<p>It’s gone.</p>
<p>It’s over.</p>
<p>“Does it matter? Everyone knows what you do,” the Alpha snickers, “Besides, show them all this old man still has some spunk in him.” one last wary glance to the open door and Piers gets to work.</p>
<p>Fingers curl around the soft cock, heart starting to speed up. Stoke it like you give a shit. Pretend you care, and it will all be over soon. A roof over your head for another month, this is a small price to pay.</p>
<p>Piers takes the Alpha into his mouth, and the landlord grips the Omega by the hair, jamming his cock down his throat. Piers chokes around it, tears leaking down the corners of his eyes, and he panics.</p>
<p>Suddenly he isn’t in his home anymore.</p>
<p>He’s back in that alleyway, being held down. Arms pinned by his sides, legs spread apart and a cock shoved down his throat, choking him into blackness.</p>
<p>Gagging, Piers nearly vomits, hands braced against the sofa, he tries to pull away. However, the old man was stronger than he looked, keeping Piers in place as he ruts his cock balls deep down his throat.</p>
<p>“That’s it….That’s it...” a loud ringing in his ears nearly deafens him, but Piers can hear the old Alpha start to breathe heavily, groaning loudly. Eyes screwed shut, Piers tries to calm himself, but he can’t.</p>
<p>It hurts.</p>
<p>He can’t breathe.</p>
<p>The landlord releases with a sharp hiss, cum shooting straight down Pier’s throat. He gags again, bile rising but the Alpha doesn’t let go. He keeps Piers in place, fingers firmly tangled in his hair as he empty's his load.</p>
<p>“Swallow it,” he orders, and Piers struggles not to. Flailing weakly against his grip, Piers claws at the old man’s legs.</p>
<p>“Swallow it, or you lose your home.” the tears are falling freely, and Piers struggles to properly swallow. Thick and hot, he isn’t sure why, but he’s reminded of the hotel once more.</p>
<p>The sauce on his steak.</p>
<p>Sweet and tangy, lingering on his tongue long after he’d finished his meal.</p>
<p>“Good boy.” finally, the old Alpha releases his grip, and Piers falls back gasping for air. His face is a mess of tears and snot, saliva running down his chin mixed with a few stray drops of cum.</p>
<p>Filthy.</p>
<p>“See? That wasn’t so bad?” the old man laughs, slapping his knee in mirth, “You look so much better like that. Next time, I bet you’ll do even better.”</p>
<p>Next time.</p>
<p>Of course.</p>
<p>Give an Alpha an inch, and they’ll take a mile.</p>
<p>The landlord stands, adjusting himself back into his pants and turns towards the door. Piers lowers his head, letting his hair hide the shame and humiliation on his face. Even at rock bottom, there was still room to sink even lower.</p>
<p>Waiting until the front door clips shut, Piers peeking up at the wall clock.</p>
<p>“Shit.” he struggled to get to his feet, still trembling.</p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>Ballonlea was an hour away by train, but the ride always seemed longer. Piers would huddle in the farthest corner of the passenger car, making himself as small and inconspicuous as possible. Which wasn’t always the easiest thing to do when you stood past six feet tall with waist-length black and white hair.</p>
<p>Alphas would leer from afar, thought outside of Spikemuth, they seemed to like as much bite. Something Piers was eternally grateful for.</p>
<p>From the station, Ballonlea was only a quick walk through a dense forest trail. The town itself was nearly forgotten to time, many of the buildings reclaimed by the forest and home to various wildlife. Colorful plant life and carefully placed lanterns giving off an almost mythical feeling. If Piers didn’t know better, he’d think the forest was home to fairies and unicorns.</p>
<p>He arrives at his destination ten minutes late, the front door opening before his knuckles have a chance to rap against the wood. The little old lady who owned the house stood there frowning, hand atop her elegantly carved cane as she looks Piers up and down.</p>
<p>“You’re late.”</p>
<p>“M’sorry Miss Opal.” he lowers his head in respect, hoping she won’t give him too much hassle. He doesn’t bother offering up a lie or an excuse, she wasn’t the sort to care.</p>
<p>Opal was an elder lady in her late seventies, though her age hardly held her back. The woman was an icon in Galar back in her youth. Fighting for Omega rights with a band of other misfits. Protesting the inhuman treatment of Omega children in the foster system, the blatant classicism between the Galar elite and common folk as well as many other things.</p>
<p>Though she had handed the torch off to the younger generation, Opal was hardly inactive. Her days were now spent helping high-risk Omega teens and fostering children deemed ‘broken’ by the system.</p>
<p>“Well come on in, she’s been waiting to see you.” Opal waves him in, hobbling her way to the kitchen. Kicking his shoes off by the door, Piers closes the door behind himself.</p>
<p>Opal’s house was a quaint little cottage, filled to the brim with gaudy nick-knacks. Her favorite seemed to be little fairies with glitter-coated wings that sat perched upon every surface she could manage to place them. The walls were a bubblegum pink, the carpet pastel pink, even the bathroom tub, and kitchen sink were various shades of pink. Too much pink. Too much glitter.</p>
<p>Though he couldn’t care less about her tawdry aesthetic.</p>
<p>He wasn't there to purchase the house.</p>
<p>The sound of little feet against the soft carpet gets his attention, and Piers feels his smile grow wide.</p>
<p>“Marnie!” he kneels down, opening his arms wide. The toddler squeals in delight, running full force into her older brother and latching on. Her little arms wrap around his neck, and she giggles away happily.</p>
<p>“She’s been so excited all morning. I couldn’t even get her to have any breakfast. She just wanted to wait by the window for you,” Opal chuckles, “Think you can get her to take some food? Poor little thing must be starving.”</p>
<p>“’Course.” Piers stands, carrying Marnie to the dining room table. With his little sister safely on his lap, he looks her over carefully. Ever since she’d come to stay with Opal, Marnie had grown into a proper chubby little child. Her black hair neatly tied up into two little pigtails that bounced as she squirmed around. Eyes wide and bright as she stares up at her big brother adoringly.</p>
<p>Opal sets a pot of tea on the table with a plate of cookies and snacks. Pouring a cup for both herself and Piers, she finally takes a seat.</p>
<p>“Here you go Mar-Mar,” Piers picks a cracker off the plate of snacks Opal had placed out for her. The little girl eagerly takes it into her chubby hands and devours it.</p>
<p>“How’s she been?” Piers continues to feed her bit by bit. Crackers, cheese, and some baby carrots.</p>
<p>“Better,” Opal nods, “The night terrors come less frequently now. Maybe once a week at this point. We’ve been working on her diet as well. She’s eating much more now, a proper three meals. The doctors are very pleased with the progress she’s making.” Piers gives Marnie a tight squeeze. Loosing not only her mother but her brother as well had taken its toll on the little girl's mental state. The orphanage she’d been placed in had been little help to her, locking her away from the other children and deeming her an ill-mannered and disruptive child.</p>
<p>Piers knew better.</p>
<p>Marnie was a good girl.</p>
<p>She was just scared to death.</p>
<p>How could anyone blame her?</p>
<p>“The only concern we have now is her speech. Marnie is far behind where she should be at this point in time. At three she <em>should</em> be speaking in near sentences, but at the moment I can hardly get her to say a single word correctly,” Opal takes a sip from her tea, “However, with enough speech therapy, Marnie should be able to catch up to the other children in a few months time.”</p>
<p>“Good...” Piers hands the toddler another carrot, “Any idea if she’ll be able to attend preschool?”</p>
<p>“I have every intention of enrolling her when the time comes. Marnie is a bright girl, she picks up on things quickly and knows how to get away with trouble.” Opal wags a finger in the little girl’s face, but she only giggles.</p>
<p>“Once a Spikemuth brat always a Spikemuth brat.” Piers jokes, but dread starts to creep in.</p>
<p>Marnie was to be returned to his custody on his eighteenth birthday.</p>
<p>Marnie would be back in Spikemuth.</p>
<p>“Speaking of brats, how have you been doing?” leaning back into her chair, the elderly woman continues to sip her tea, watching Piers carefully over the rim of her cup.</p>
<p>“Been fine.” he doesn’t leave room for any more questions on the matter. The less Opal knew, the better.</p>
<p>“You look terrible. You clearly haven’t been eating enough.” she shoves the plate of cookies closer. The Omega humors her and takes one, breaking it in half and sharing it with Marnie.</p>
<p>“The house is extra quiet today.” Piers changes to subject quickly, finishing off his half of the sugar cookie in two bites.</p>
<p>“Ah, yes. Two of my little ones were adopted last week. The littlest boy was adopted by a lovely Alpha couple, and the baby girl went to an Omega who’d recently suffered a miscarriage. I know both of them will be well-loved in their new homes, though...I will miss them,” Opal smiles fondly, “It’s always so bittersweet to see them go. I know in my old age it would be irresponsible of me to adopt a child, but I do wish I’d had one to call my own when the chance was there.”</p>
<p>“Ya never had kids?” Piers was a bit surprised. For someone who adored children as Opal did, he’d just assumed she had a whole mess of children.</p>
<p>“I was too busy to ever properly settle down, and by the time I got around to it...well, I was in my sixties. So, instead of wallowing in grief for something I never got to have, I decided to start fostering. I’ve nearly over forty foster children that call me ‘mother’ now. I’d not change it for anything.” Opal takes a folded napkin, leaning across the table she wipes the crumbs from Marnie’s face. The toddler squirms, arms flailing in protest.</p>
<p>“Though...I was supposed to have another one join me a few weeks back.” once she’s satisfied that Marnie’s face was properly cleaned, the old Omega settles back into her chair.</p>
<p>“Oh?”</p>
<p>“Yes...I’d gotten a call from Motostoke that they had a troublesome young omega in need of some proper discipline. Not another word on the matter just told me to get on the next train and pick him up. Didn’t tell me why he was troublesome, or if he still had family, nothing at all.</p>
<p>I tell you, I went through a hell of a panic trying to get one of my regular sitters to come on such short notice, but I managed. Got all the kids down for a nap, hop the next train down to Motostoke, and what would you know? He’d gone. Slipped away from the social worker when she wasn’t looking.” Opal shakes her head, frowning.</p>
<p>“Did they ever find him?”</p>
<p>“As of this morning, no, and I’m afraid they won’t. Young Omegas like that...they don’t often show back up. You know how it is.” Piers swallows thickly.</p>
<p>Don’t think about it.</p>
<p>“Anyhow, onto something a little more cheery! I bought the most delightful cherry-scented shampoo the other day while up in Wyndon.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Saying goodbye to Marnie was the hardest part. Piers could still hear her pitiful wails and screams as Opal carefully pried her tiny fingers from his shirt. He promised his little sister over and over that he would be back, but the longer he lingered, the worst it was for her. Marnie couldn’t understand why Piers left her each time, why her big brother only came around for a few hours at a time.</p><p>Piers chews his lip as he tries not to think about it any longer. Marnie was safe with Opal, even if she wasn’t always happy. There wasn’t a place in all of Galar that could be better for her to be.</p><p>It would be selfish to want to take her from that.</p><p>Back in Spikemuth, Piers kept his head low as he scurried through the streets. He’d made it back just as work let out, allowing him to blend into the crowded sidewalks and avoid any unwanted attention. A few Alphas paused to look at him, but Piers didn’t linger. The walk to his apartment was uneventful, and for once, Piers was able to make it home in peace.</p><p>As he makes his way up the stairs, a familiar scent catches his attention. Stomach turning, he shakes the thought from his head.</p><p>It must be a mistake.</p><p>He wouldn’t be here.</p><p>The ache in his knees is unbearable by the time Piers reaches the last step. All he wanted to do was get inside and lay down.</p><p>The scent was stronger now.</p><p>Something moves in his peripheral vision.</p><p>A hand settles on his shoulder.</p><p>Piers jumps back with a yelp, heart pounding.</p><p>“So sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you!”</p><p>“W-What are you doing here?” Piers feels his mouth go dry, body freezing up. Rose was standing right in front of his, plastic bag hanging from his wrist. The elder Alpha gave a reassuring smile, but the Omega was too on edge to care.</p><p>“Magnolia told me where you live. I wanted to come by and return the belongings you left behind.” he sips the bag from his wrist and hands it over to Piers, who takes it wearily. He glances inside to see his empty wallet, screen cracked cell phone and makeup bag.</p><p>As well as five bottles of Valnide.</p><p>Piers jerks his head up, eyes wide.</p><p>Even after all this, Rose was still giving him such a precious resource?</p><p>The CEO presses a finger to his lips and gives a wink.</p><p>“Don’t tell anyone, alright? It’s just between you and me.”</p><p>Piers snarls, head lowered, eyes narrowed.</p><p>“Why. After what I said? Aren’t you pissed off?” Rose looks shocked, blinking in confusion.</p><p>“Of course not. That’s partially why I came here. To apologize for my actions,” he pauses, scratching the back of his head nervously, “You...were right. My guilt over Diana clouded my vision. It was wrong for me to so blatantly compare you to your mother. You are your own person, and I should never have assumed you’d want the same things as her.”</p><p>Piers isn’t sure how to respond.</p><p>He hadn’t expected Rose to offer an apology.</p><p>Why would he?</p><p>“T-thanks...I guess...” Piers fidgets with the bag, plucking a few pieces of plastic from the handles.</p><p>Rose slips his hand into his coat pocket and pulls forth a business card. Piers takes it and glances over it. Off white with cursive font, tilting slightly to the right, ending with a flourish, and the company logo for Rose Pharmaceuticals.</p><p>“Please know, my offer still stands. If you are in need of anything, you just need to give me a ring.” Rose gives a bow and turns to leave.</p><p>Piers feels his head spinning.</p><p>What had just happened?</p><p>Did he really come all this way to return his things?</p><p>Rose was rich, he could have sent someone in his place.</p><p>He could have mailed it to him.</p><p>Handed it off to Sonia.</p><p>
  <em>Swallow your pride. </em>
</p><p>Piers sees Rose disappear around the corner of the stairwell.</p><p>
  <em>Is it really so bad if he wants to use you?</em>
</p><p>A cold chill runs down his spine.</p><p>
  <em>Being the pet of a rich man is better than being the slave of a poor fool. </em>
</p><p>“W-what!” Piers barks, launching himself down the stairs. He jumps two at a time and slips on the last one, slamming into the wall with enough force to dent the drywall.</p><p><em>Real</em> g<em>raceful</em> <em>you idiot. </em></p><p>Rose jumps, turning around from the bottom of the second set of stairs. He gives Piers a confused look, hands coming up in a confused motion.</p><p>“I-I do need help. P-please...There is something I need.”</p><p>~~~</p><p>Piers had never felt ashamed of his apartment before. Sure, it was dingy. Paint peeling walls and half the lights were burnt out. The furniture was busted, the sofa sitting at an angle with one leg broken out. The kitchen table was being kept level with a book, and the sink spluttered out brown water in the early evening.</p><p>Crappy as it was, it was still his home.</p><p>But with Rose sitting on the stained sofa in his million-dollar suit, sipping watered-down tea Piers had bought on sale for fifty cents, Piers felt humiliated.</p><p>“Tell me, what can I do for you?” Rose sets the tea aside, being polite enough to take a few sips.</p><p>Piers sits cross-legged on the chair across from him, fidgeting with a lock of his hair.</p><p>
  <em>Go on, just ask.</em>
</p><p>“I-I’m behind on my rent.” he was certain pulling his own teeth out with a pair of rusty pliers would have been less difficult than admitting that.</p><p>“How behind?” Rose raises an eyebrow.</p><p>
  <em>He’s judging you. </em>
</p><p>“Way behind.” Piers swallows thickly, wishing he’d made himself a cup of tea as well. Something to hide behind.</p><p>“How much exactly.”</p><p>“U-uh...” he takes a minute to do the math in his head, stomach flipping as the number grows. “I think….around...two thousand.”</p><p>Rose chuckles and reaches for his wallet. Piers can feel his eyes growing wide as the Alpha pulls out a wad of hundred dollar bills and begins to count them silently.</p><p>“Y-your fuck’en insane to carry that sorta cash ‘round Spikemuth!” Piers stutters, “People get stabbed for five bucks and a bag of chips in these parts.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about me, I’m not here alone.” Rose the Omega doesn’t like how ominous that sounded. The Alpha shifts the conversation immediately.</p><p>“Now, tell me, how much is your rent each month?”</p><p>“Um...’round a thousand with taxes ‘n shit.” Piers shifts in his seat, sinking further into himself.</p><p>“I’ll speak with your landlord on the way out and I’ll take care of any future payments, as well as any outstanding debt you owe to him,” Rose hands the cash to Piers, “This is for you to save. Use it for food, clean clothes or anything else you need.” the wad of cash feels like lead in Piers hand.</p><p>Was it rude to count it in front of Rose?</p><p>It looked like far more than two thousand.</p><p>“Tell me Piers, have you thought of moving out of here? Spikemuth does have better apartments.”</p><p>“They charge an arm and a leg for ‘em too.” Piers isn’t sure what to do with the money.</p><p>Hold on to it?</p><p>Put it away?</p><p>Where would he even hide it?</p><p>“If money wasn’t an issue?” Rose presses further, and Piers relents.</p><p>“Yeah, sure. If I was a rich bastard I’d move out of here. If we really wanna talk batshit, I’d like to move to Wyndon.” Piers forces a laugh, trying to play off just how nervous he was.</p><p>“And if I offered to pay for you to move there?” Rose leans back on the sofa, crossing his legs and resting his hands atop his knees. Piers feels his stomach flip. He wants to snark back, tell Rose to fuck off. It’s a trap, he knows it’s a trap.</p><p>Even someone who was blind, deaf, and mute could sense it was a trap.</p><p>“Why? Why’d you do it? I’ve got nothing to offer. I ain’t got an education. I ain’t got no job qualifications. Why the fuck do you think I’m out there sleeping with Alphas? It’s all I can fucking do!” bitterness clings to each word, poisoning the almost pleasant atmosphere in the room.</p><p>“I heard you sing Piers. With proper training, you could be one of the greatest musicians of our time. While I do apologize for comparing you to your mother and letting that guilt get the better of me, I stand by what I said about your talent. As well as extending my offer to get you proper training,” Rose twirls a strand of hair around his finger, “But I have no intention of forcing you to do anything. Tell me to leave, and I’ll pay your rent and you’ll not hear another word from me. Tell me you want to move, I’ll help you do so. The ball is in your court, and you have full control over where it lands.”</p><p>Piers glares up through his bangs.</p><p>“You don’t know what the fuck you’re getting into. I’m a fuck’en broken mess. I’ll just screw everything up. I’ll ruin whatever you try to do for me. It’s all I’m good at doing.” Rose doesn’t look one bit perturbed.</p><p>“Perhaps. You might be the devil in disguise for all I know. However,” Rose leans forward, smirk on his lips, “I’m a glutton for punishment. I didn’t get where I am without taking some chances and losing some bets.”</p><p>Piers doesn’t like the way his heart flutters at that.</p><p>
  <em>Knock it off you twat, he’s just playing you. </em>
</p><p>“If you had your way, what would you do with me?” Piers leans in as well, letting his shirt slid down his shoulder, neck exposed as much as his collar would allow.</p><p>
  <em>F</em>
  <em>ine, two</em>
  <em> can play this game. </em>
</p><p>“I’d take you to Wyndon and set you up in a proper apartment. I’d get you an education, and someone to help cultivate your talent.”</p><p>“And what do you want in return?” Piers feels his heart speed up.</p><p>Here it comes.</p><p>Just say it.</p><p>“I want you to work hard and succeed. Show everyone that an Omega from Spikemuth is just as capable as anyone else. Make your mother proud.” Piers leans in closer, their faces mere inches apart.</p><p>
  <em>Yes. See? He’s just like the others. </em>
</p><p>Just as Piers was about to receive his bitter triumph, Rose stands up, clapping his hand together with a smile.</p><p>“Now! I have a meeting to get to. You think about what I said and get back to me with your answer. No more worrying about your rent, I’ll take care of that on my way out. I hope to hear from you soon!” Rose excuses himself without another word, letting the door swing shut on its own behind him.</p><p>Piers is left dumbfounded, mouth hanging open in shock.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hate this chapter so much. I rewrote it ten times. I tried different perspectives and none of it felt right. I'm hoping to get back on track now that I finally got Rose and Piers back in contact.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I love comments, please consider leaving one!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The water in the bathtub has chilled to a lukewarm temperature. It wasn’t cold enough to bother Piers, but it wasn’t hot enough to be relaxing. His long legs couldn’t fit inside the tub comfortably anymore, so he ended up half exposed to the chilly apartment air whenever he attempted to lay down.</p><p>He didn’t particularly care at the moment.</p><p>Eyes fixated on the cracks in the roof above the tub, counting them under his breath as he attempts to figure the situation out.</p><p>Rose had just offered him the world as if it were the easiest thing. Promising money, safety, and prosperity. A home without the fear of eviction. An education to help secure a job. A chance for something greater than what his mother ever had.</p><p>There must be a catch.</p><p>There had to be a price.</p><p>No man, woman, Alpha, Beta, or Omega would offer such a thing without compensation in one form or another.</p><p>Rose was famous, with an outstanding track record for business ventures. Piers knew he wouldn’t be the first person that the CEO had taken pity on.</p><p>No, there most certainly were others.</p><p>He’s seen their faces on TV and in tablets, interviewed on the radio, lavishing Rose with kind words.</p><p>Piers splashes some water onto his face, rubbing his makeup off with a torn washcloth. Black eyeliner and shadow smudging the white fabric.</p><p>It was too good to be true, but he wanted it so badly.</p><p>The chance for a better future was within grasp, so why couldn’t he just reach out and take it? Pluck the forbidden apple from the branch and feast upon the sweet pleasures it would bring.</p><p>Why was it so easy to bend over for an Alpha in the alleyway for twenty bucks, but taking a handout from a filthy rich Alpha felt like sucking down poison?</p><p>Piers pulls a chunk of his hair into his line of vision, tugging and pulling apart a knot that had formed.</p><p>Money wasn’t going to be flowing in anytime soon. Even with Valnide back in his system, prostitution in the slums wasn’t lucrative. He was barely surviving on his own, what was he going to do in three years when Marnie came to live with him?</p><p>If anything, she deserved better.</p><p>Marnie deserved to go to school, make friends, and never want for food. God forbid she presents as an Omega, Piers couldn’t let her continue to live in Spikemuth. He might as well paint a target on her back and yell ‘shoot.’</p><p>
  <em>Just be a good pet, and smile. Do what he tells you, and everything will be alright.</em>
</p><p>Piers closes his eyes and sinks further into the water, letting it cover his face up to his nose. He blinks back tears, a shuttered breath choking him.</p><p>His mother had given birth to him in this tiny apartment.</p><p>He didn’t want this to be where he died too.</p><p>Even if there was a price to be paid, wouldn’t it be worth it for a chance at success? A glimmer of the promise was dangling right in front of his face, he’d be a fool to turn his back to it.</p><p>
  <em>Born in filth, die in filth. </em>
</p><p>No.</p><p>“I ain’t dying here.” Piers hauls himself to his feet, water splashing around him. He grabs a towel and wraps it around himself, wet hair sloshing around him messily. So what if the floor got wet, it couldn’t make the place any disgusting than it already was. The carpet already smelled like shit, a little mold can’t make it worse.</p><p>He grabs his cell phone and picks the business card up. The edges becoming soaked from his wet fingertips, blurring the print slightly. It feels like ages pass before he finishes dialing the number, stomach flipping as the line begins to ring.</p><p>
  <em>Ring. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Ring. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Ri-</em>
</p><p>“This is Rose Towers, how may I assists you today?” the voice was undoubtedly Oleana, and laced with a false sweetness that made Piers cringe.</p><p>“I-I’m looking for Rose.” was that too informal? Should he have said Mr? Sir? CEO? Chairman?</p><p>“Who is this?” Oleana’s facade snaps away.</p><p>“P-Piers...” he never should have called. Oleana would never allow someone like him to speak with the Chairman so casually. She knew what he was, how little he was worth. It was stupid to have even entertained the thought that someone would give a single shit about-</p><p>“One moment, I’ll transfer you over to the Chairman.” his heart is pounding so loudly in his ears he can hardly hear what she said. The line clicks, and before the mandatory elevator music starts to play, another voice comes onto the line.</p><p>“Piers! It’s wonderful to hear from you! What can I do for you?” Piers chews on the ends of his hair, sucking the water from the strands in an attempt to wet his parched mouth.</p><p>“I...thought about what you said.”</p><p>“Good, good. You have an answer for me I presume?” Rose sounded cheerful, so excited.</p><p>“Yeah...I want to do it.”</p><p>“You’ll take me up on the offer?”</p><p>“I-I will. But I wanna talk it over first. I wanna make sure you aren’t gonna fuck me over.” Piers means to sound assertive, but damns how childish it sounds upon leaving his mouth.</p><p>“Of course! Are you thinking about a contract? I can bring my lawyer with me and have one written up. You can assert the terms and conditions. Whatever makes you feel most comfortable.” Rose is writing something down, Piers can hear the scrape of pen against paper over the line.</p><p>“Y-yeah, something like that.”</p><p>“Very well. I’ll be by tomorrow with my lawyer and we’ll take care of everything then. Does noon work for you?”</p><p>~~~</p><p>Piers knew as much about contracts as he did about elephants. Sure, he knew they both existed, both had their place in the world, but he’d never seen one in person, let alone knew what to do with it.</p><p>The rows and rows of text melting into one giant pool of black and white, growing harder and harder to read as he goes. His focus fading in and out as the two Alphas chattered away in front of him.</p><p>“Explain it to me again.” shame blossoms in his chest as Piers asks once more for the lawyer to recite to terms and conditions.</p><p>“This contract states that in exchange for providing shelter, basic amenities, a weekly allowance, and an education through a private tutor, you, Piers, will give ten percent of your future earning from your music career to Rose.” even dumbing it down to its most basic form, Piers was struggling to understand the technical babble this lawyer was flinging at him.</p><p>“You can ask any questions you like Piers, don’t be nervous.” Rose gives a reassuring smile, and Piers shifts nervously in his seat.</p><p>“That ten percent, does that mean I have to give you ten percent of my wages?”</p><p>“Yes. Only the money you earn through your music. If you don’t pursue a career in the music industry, I will collect nothing from you.” Rose explains simply.</p><p>“What if I don’t make it though? What if I can’t make any money from my music? What do I have to give ya then?”</p><p>“Nothing. You will owe me nothing.” it’s still too good to be true, but he was here, having it typed up officially. There was no way for Rose to back out of his word now.</p><p>“You may also negotiate the terms. It goes both ways,” the lawyer states, “If you want something, you may ask for it now. If you don’t want something, you need to state it.” Piers can’t keep up. All the demands and regulations he’d formulated in his brain that night were gone, leaving him blank and struggling.</p><p>“I ain’t been to a doctor in almost six years...” he’s embarrassed to admit it, and the disgusted look the lawyer gives him leaves Piers feeling like a diseased mutt. Rose remains unperturbed.</p><p>“Add medical and dental to the list.”</p><p>“Also...on the list of ‘don’t want,’” Piers trails off, lowering his head and mumbling under his breath. He closes his eyes, hoping they understood his whispered request.</p><p>He didn’t want to repeat it.</p><p>He didn’t want to say it louder.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that.” the lawyer tuts, tapping his pen against his note pad impatiently. Piers struggles to find the words, stuttering and tripping over his sentences, feeling smaller and smaller the more irritated the Lawyer grew.</p><p>Rose holds his hand up, placing it gently on Piers’ knee.</p><p>“Stipulate that no sexual favors will be expected in return for my gifts.” the words hit Piers like a bullet, jolting him upright, eyes wide. The lawyer doesn’t even flinch, scribbling it down as Rose continues.</p><p>“This contract will be good for one year, at which time we can extend and negotiate the terms.”</p><p>“Very well,” Rose turns back to Piers, “Now, I do have expectations of you as well. You will attend all your classes and practices. As your career is just starting you will need to get your name and face out there. This includes photo shoots, charity events, concerts, radio and magazine interviews. Should you start to lack or shirk your duties, I have the right to revoke my end of the contract.” it makes sense. Rose was very clear in his intention of turning Piers into the next big hit.</p><p>His next big investment.</p><p>“Kind of a lot to expect from someone who’s never done this type a shit before.” Piers mumbles, and Rose chuckles.</p><p>“Now, now, I’m not going to throw you to the wolves tomorrow. You will have time to prepare, practice. I’ll introduce you to your new life slowly. Have some of my former prodigies assist you as well.”Piers nods his understanding, nervousness sinking in. His whole life was about to change, and his future rode on the hope he wouldn’t crash and burn.</p><p>“One more thing...” Piers bites at a hangnail, watching the lawyer's eye twitch in annoyance, “’m little sis...”</p><p>“Ah, right. You mentioned her before,” Rose furrows his brow, “Are you her current legal guardian?”</p><p>“No...she’s being fostered in Ballonlea. I’m taking her when I turn eighteen...but I visit her monthly. I want to know I’ll have time off to continue visiting her. I’m not giving that up for nothing.”</p><p>“I’ll have a weekend carved out of your schedule so that you can spend time with her. Perhaps we can arrange to have her moved to a closer foster family so that you can see her more frequently.” Rose offers, but Piers fiercely shakes his head.</p><p>“I don’t want ‘er moved from Ballonlea. She’s safe and happy there, I’m not taking her from that.” Opal was strict but kind, and in her home, Piers could sleep easy knowing Marnie was protected from the world.</p><p>From the Alphas who would use her.</p><p>The thought sends his stomach into knots.</p><p>“Understood. We’ll just have to make time for you to visit.” Rose gives an understanding nod, signaling to his lawyer that they were done.</p><p>“I’ll give you a few days to think it all over before we sign the final copy in case you’d like to make any amendments to the terms. In the meantime, pack your things, I have an apartment secured for you in Wyndon and you can move in immediately.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Picking up steam. Things are going well....right?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There were very few things Piers genuinely wished to retain. An old photo album with pictures taken on the few positive occasions in his life. Childhood birthdays, the first few days after Marnie’s birth, and some collage memories his mother cherished so deeply. It was packed away safely at the bottom of his suitcase.</p><p>He tosses in his hairbrush, shampoo, and other toiletries. The bottle of perfume his mother had worn nearly every day of her life, his battered radio, and collection of CDs. Rummaging through his dresser, he picks out the most decent of his outfits. T-shirts with the fewest holes, jackets that still have zippers and pants that actually covered his legs. All in all, it was perhaps two full days worth of clothing, but the rest was hardly salvageable.</p><p>Perhaps Rose would take pity and provide him with decent clothing.</p><p>Piers picks through his mother’s wardrobe lastly. Choosing a few of her finest dresses and most salacious garments. If Rose backs out of their deal, at the very least he stood a chance of seducing some rich Wyndon folk.</p><p>Plucking his favorite dress from the pile, Piers runs his fingers over the shiny black latex.</p><p>It was his lucky charm.</p><p>No matter how vacant the alley, when he wore that dress, Alphas came crawling.</p><p>
  <em>You don’t need it. </em>
</p><p>Swallowing thickly, he lingers over the suitcase, dress in hand.</p><p>
  <em>Throw it out. </em>
</p><p>Rose had said, no sexual favors were expected.</p><p>
  <em>Only cheap whores wear shit like that. </em>
</p><p>Piers tosses it into the suitcase.</p><p>
  <em>Just for now. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Just till I know for sure…</em>
</p><p>A knock on the door drags him out of his thoughts, and Piers is quick to answer. His old landlord was there, leaning on his cane heavily. Piers grits his teeth and forces a polite smile.</p><p>They hadn’t spoken since <em>that</em> afternoon, and Piers was quietly praying he wouldn’t have to see him again. Rose had already settled the matter of rent and the lease, so what reason could he have for this visit?</p><p>“Ya moving out now, are ya?” the old Alpha moves to enter the apartment, but Piers blocks him. Drawing himself up as tall as he can, Piers towers over the old man. The Alpha isn’t phased, smirking with amusement.</p><p>“Yes and I’m in the middle of packing. Come back later if you need something.” he didn’t have time to deal with this. Rose told him to be ready by five, and it was half-past three now.</p><p>The old Alpha huffs with annoyance, tapping his cane against Pier’s foot. Pressing down on the last tap just enough to force Piers to pull his foot away.</p><p>A small show of dominance.</p><p>“I’ll leave ya alone in a minute, just tell me something ‘n I’ll be on my way.” the Omega pinches the bridge of his nose, blowing a sharp breath out between his teeth.</p><p>
  <em>Only a few more hours.</em>
</p><p>“What’sit.”</p><p>The old landlord shifts his weight onto his good leg, motioning to the Omega with his cane. A devious glint in his eyes.</p><p>“How’d a mangy kid like you get in bed with the Chairman?” the rage spikes as the old Alpha howls with laughter.</p><p>“He must ‘ave cheap taste to pick ya. Now, now, you go and have a good time in the big city,” he grins, yellow teeth glistening in the dim light of the hall, “I’ll keep the room empty for when ‘e gets bored of ya. You’ve always got a home with me Piers.” his laughter rings in Piers’ ears, and without thinking, the Omega rips the cane out of the old man’s hand.</p><p>Startled and caught off guard, he stumbles back, crashing into the wall. Eyes wild and wide as the old Alpha tries to right himself. Twirling the cane between his fingers, Piers jams the end of it into the Alpha’s chest, watching him flinch with sick satisfaction.</p><p>“Listen ‘ere old man. I’m not your bitch now, and I never will be. Even if I crash ‘n burn, I’ll die in a gutter before I crawl back ‘n beg you for a second chance. Go on and talk shit about me, act all high ‘n mighty. Ya’ve got very few years left, and when ya die, I’ll find your grave and take a fucking piss on it.” Piers takes one look at the cane that was still in his hand and glances over to the stairwell. With one fluid swing, he hurls it down the stairs as hard as he can.</p><p>“Go fetch.”</p><p>“You little shit, I’ll fucking kill you!” Piers doesn’t wait to hear anymore, returning to his apartment and locking the many latches. The old man can rant, rave and pound at the door as much as he liked, Piers wasn’t going to answer.</p><p>Not anymore.</p><p>Ignoring the banging on the door, Piers returns to the bedroom. Zipping up the suitcase and taking one last look around the apartment, Piers opens up the bedroom window and slips out onto the fire escape. It’s rusty and shifting under his weight, but he manages to reach the second to last floor without the whole thing crashing around him.</p><p>The last set of stairs isn’t there, so he tosses his suitcase down and leaps. Knees buckling under him as he lands, Piers tumbles over. Pain shoots up his legs and through his back, sucking the breath out of him and bringing a few tears to his eyes.</p><p>“Not smart...not smart,” he mumbles under his breath, crawling onto his elbows and propping himself up against his suitcase. The sound of hurried footsteps catches him off guard. Struggling to look around, he catches a glimpse of bright orange hair.</p><p>“Piers, what the fuck was that about?!” Sonia snaps, dropping beside him. His face flushes with shame and embarrassment.</p><p>“Oh...you saw that?” he winces, feeling guilty for worrying his friend.</p><p>“Yes I saw that! What were you doing!?” she demands, giving a strand of his hair a sharp tug. Piers gently slaps her hand away, growling under his breath.</p><p>“Got into it with the landlord. Didn’t want to see ‘em so I just climbed down the fire escape.”</p><p>“I swear to God Piers, you are determined to get yourself killed,” Sonia groans, “What are you going to do without me checking on you every day?” he chuckles weakly, dropping his gaze. He was going to miss Sonia, and it brings a wave of sadness over him.</p><p>What <em>was </em>he going to do without her?</p><p>“Why are you here anyway? Don’t you have work today?”</p><p>Change the subject.</p><p>Don’t think about it.</p><p>
  <em>This is the right thing to do. </em>
</p><p>“I left early so I could see you off,” Sonia gives a gentle smile, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of black and white hair behind the Omega’s ear. “I’m really gonna miss you Piers. Promise you’ll call? Give me your new address? I, like, so want to see your new place.”</p><p>Grinning Piers nods, “Done and done. I’ll have you over as soon as I know Rose isn’t fucking with me, and I actually have a place to live.” they grow quiet, Sonia twirling her hair as she becomes lost in thought. Her smile slowly fades, and Piers swears he can see the glint of tears building in the corners of her eyes.</p><p>“Listen...if you need anything, tell me. No matter how big or small, I’ll be right there if you need me. I know Rose is going to set you up for life, but if something goes wrong...” Sonia gives another smile, but the melancholy behind her eyes betrays her.</p><p>“I will Sonia. Thank you...for everything. I never had a real friend before you showed up.” Piers is caught off guard as Sonia flings her arms around his neck, pulling him into a bone-crushing embrace. Hot tears drip onto his neck and Sonia takes a shuttered breath.</p><p>“Oh I told myself I wasn’t going to cry!” she sobs, “I’m just gonna miss you so much! This job and town are so miserable, but you always made my day so much better!” Piers wraps his arms around her, returning the hug as tightly as he could. Rubbing his cheek against her shoulder, he takes a deep breath in.</p><p>
  <em>Cedarwood and freshly mowed grass mixed with a cheap, overpowering floral perfume. </em>
</p><p>“I’ll come to see ya Sonia. I promise.”</p><p>“This is such a wonderful opportunity for you Piers...I’m so happy that it was you of all people who got it.” she finally releases him, wiping her eyes gingerly. Eyeliner and mascara running down her cheeks. He chuckles, using the sleeve of his shirt to clean the smudged makeup off her face.</p><p>“I just hope I don’t ruin it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ok I lied, things will pick up in the next chapter, I promise.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Content warning for a brief flashback detailing a sexual act. <br/>Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it! They really keep me going.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Piers, welcome to your new home!” Rose was there to greet him with a wide smile and open arms as Piers exits the taxi. Wyndon was every bit the opulent metropolitan he had expected, overwhelming and overstimulating. Even the air felt high class, and Piers wonders if he’s even good enough to breathe it in.</p>
<p>The apartment complex Rose had secured for him was in the dead center of Wyndon, gated in and cut off from the rest of the city. Lush gardens planted all around, growing an array of fragrant flowers and charming shrubbery. The trees providing just enough shade to keep the blinding sun out of their eyes.</p>
<p>“Looks more like a hotel.” Piers mumbles, in awe of how beautiful and clean everything was. Not a leaf out of place, no trash along the walkways, not even ants scurrying over the dirt.</p>
<p>“I hear that a lot,” Rose chuckles, “I designed it after Unova architecture. I fell in love with the style when I visited in my younger years, and wanted to bring a touch of it to Galar.” Piers's head snaps up.</p>
<p>“You designed it?”</p>
<p>“Yes, yes. This is was one of my passion projects so to speak. Many of my employees were commuting from other cities, which was stressful for both them and their families. So I wanted to build a place just for them.” the fond smile on Rose’s face is endearing, and Piers is almost impressed.</p>
<p>“So...you build an apartment just for your employees?”</p>
<p>“Well, to be specific, the most crucial of employees. I, unfortunately, can’t home every single person who works for my companies, that would be impossible. Think of this as...an added bonus for my hardest working staff members. Such as myself and Oleana.” Rose ushers the awestruck teen into the building.</p>
<p>“You live here?”</p>
<p>“I do. I have a penthouse on the top floor. You’re welcome to see it for yourself someday.” the lobby was every bit as extravagant as the outside, and Piers can feel the judgmental stares from the staff.</p>
<p>
  <em>You don’t belong here. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> What were you thinking?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Spikemuth trash. </em>
</p>
<p>“You’ll be on the eleventh floor. I have that area specifically dedicated to my...prodigies.” the Alpha calls the elevator, and Piers feels a spike of anxiety.</p>
<p>
  <em>Don’t get in there with an Alpha. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Are you stupid?</em>
</p>
<p>“Prodigies?” Piers steps into the corner of the elevator, holding his breath as the door slowly close before him. The walls were mirrored, and seeing his reflection all around him only made Piers nauseous.</p>
<p>
  <em>Filth. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> You’re out of your league. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <b>Stop fooling yourself.</b>
  </em>
</p>
<p>“You know Leon, correct?” if Rose senses his discomfort, he doesn’t acknowledge it. Piers grips onto the hem of his shirt tightly.</p>
<p>“Leon? Leon...” Piers tries to place the name. He knows it, someone famous has that name, but he isn’t sure who…</p>
<p>“Leon was my first and one of my brightest stars. I met him while on a trip to Postwick and knew there was something special about him. Turns out he was exceptional at horseback riding! Shot to the top of his game and took first place in nearly every race he was in,” Rose laughs, “Never in my life did I think I’d have anything to do with horses. Now I can’t get enough.”</p>
<p>When the elevator doors finally reopen, Piers lefts out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.</p>
<p>
  <em>See, he didn’t do anything. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> This isn’t Spikemuth. </em>
</p>
<p>“Then there was Milo, who now runs my landscaping company. Bea is still in school but training for multiple martial arts championships. Oh, and how could I forget Nessa-”</p>
<p>“W-wait you’ve worked with Nessa? The fashion model Nessa?” Piers’ mouth falls open in shock.</p>
<p>“Ah! A fan of hers?” Rose gives an amused grin as he leads Piers down the hallway to his room.</p>
<p>“Yes! I saw a piece from her Lavender Town collection a few years back and fell in love with it!” he can still recall the first time he saw the jacket, dangling just out of his reach.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Stay n</em>
  <em>ear</em>
  <em> to me Piers. I don’t want you wandering off.” it was a rare trip to Circhester, and Piers wanted to do anything </em>
  <em>
    <b>but </b>
  </em>
  <em>stay close by </em>
  <em>his mother</em>
  <em>. The restaurants all smelt so amazing, luring him in with the promise of delectable food they couldn’t afford. Shops with wide windows displaying brightly colored dresses, flowers, and </em>
  <em>knick-knacks. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Come on Mom, can’t I just go look in the windows? I’ll be quick,” he begs, giving Diana wide pleading eyes. The tired woman sighs heavily, shifting baby Marnie higher on her hip. She looks from her son to the nearby shops, chewing her lip nervously. Red lipstick staining her teeth. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Fine, fine. I’ll be sitting right here. Don’t be long, we have to get to the doctor soon.” Piers smiles widely, bolting off to the closest shop. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> The storefront </em>
  <em>was a lovely</em>
  <em> sky blue, little clouds painted onto the windows. Various blouses and skirts displayed on far too thin mannequins, gaudy silks and bright pastels. Piers wouldn’t be caught dead in any of it, but there was some</em>
  <em>thing</em>
  <em> so alluring in just looking. </em>
  <em>Just viewing what he could never have.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> A small gasp slips free as his eyes land on the last mannequin to the left. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> A black leather jacket is proudly displayed, little silver studs around the cuffs. Three or four zippers dangled from the </em>
  <em>slider, one pocket with a little gray skull embroidered onto it. Finely stitched pale white hands covered the shoulders, giving a ghostly look to the piece. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He can’t take his eyes off it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “</em>
  <em>Piers, come on, we have to go.” Diana walks up, giving him a tug on the back of his shirt. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Mom, mom look at that jacket!” he points enthusiastically, grinning widely as his mother leans in to look. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Ohhhh, it is nice isn’t it?” she smiles, “You have the same taste as I do.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Mom, can I get it?” Piers knows he shouldn’t ask. He knows money is tight, and gifts are reserved for birthdays and Christmas. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> If even that. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Diana’s smile drops, and she strains to see the price tag dangling from the sleeve of the jacket. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Sixty dollars...I can’t afford that right now Piers.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “M-maybe for Christmas?” Piers ventures to ask, tugging at a lock of his hair. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> He knows he shouldn’t ask. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> He sees how sad his mother gets when he does. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <b>Don’t be so selfish. </b>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>“We’ll see closer to then. Perhaps you can find it cheaper online when we get home,” she runs her fingers through his hair, pretty smile back on her lips, “Now, Marnie has an appointment and we can’t be late. Let’s go.” </em>
</p>
<p>There’s still a lingering feeling of guilt in his gut when he thinks back on that day. How something so silly as a piece of clothing could seem so important. Important enough to grieve over not being able to afford. Important enough to beg his poor mother for her hard-earned money just so that he could have it all for himself.</p>
<p>
  <em>What a selfish son. </em>
</p>
<p>“This will be your room,” Rose stops abruptly, and Piers nearly runs right into the man’s back, “Here is your key card.” the Alpha holds a thin piece of red and black plastic between his fingers. Piers takes it cautiously, furrowing his brow.</p>
<p>“It really is like a hotel.”</p>
<p>“That card is your key to the whole building. After 10 p.m. the front doors are locked to anyone who isn’t a resident, so if you don’t want to be locked out of the building, make sure you don’t lose it.</p>
<p>There is a small restaurant to the left of the lobby, simply present that to the hostess and they will charge your meal to it. You can use it to access to gym and pool as well as the theater,” Rose stops when Piers begins to shake his head.</p>
<p>“Wait, wait, hold on. How do I pay off what gets charged to it?” the Omega glances down at the card nervously.</p>
<p>“Oh, don’t worry about that. It’s part of our agreement, remember? I’ll cover costs for basic necessities,” Rose grins, tapping the card with his pinky finger, “Now, let me tell you the best card. You can use it at any business that has the Macro Cosmos logo on the window. Simply hand it over when you need to pay, your debt will be charged to it and I’ll pay it off for you.”</p>
<p>“Are you draft? You’ve just handed an unlimited credit card to a broke Spikemuth whore.” it slips out before Piers can stop himself, mutter bewilderment and shock taking hold. Rose only laughs hardily, patting Piers on the shoulder with a smile.</p>
<p>“Piers, you know very well I’m a rich man, I know my wealth far exceeds what any human begin deserves. If you choose to take that card, buy out every store in Wyndon, turn around and disappear, I’d at least have the knowledge I gave you one day free from fear and stress,” his smile fades from one of mirth to one of genuine sympathy, and Piers feels sick seeing it, “But I know you wouldn’t do that. You’re a good kid Piers, and I know you have a good future ahead of you. For now, enjoy yourself. Indulge in the luxuries you never thought you’d have. Spoil yourself for once. Money isn’t a fear for you anymore. Here, you are safe.”</p>
<p>“I don’t deserve this,” Piers grips the key-card so tight his knuckles turn white, hands trembling violently as tears spill down his cheeks, “There are millions of people out there who deserve this so much more than I ever will. I’m trash. I’m just a worthless sack of bones who can’t even find the will to live half the time. This should be gifted to someone else. Someone better.” he closes his eyes, biting down onto his lip hard enough for a droplet of blood to trickle down his chin. The hallway grows dead silent, and a cold chill runs down his spine.</p>
<p>
  <em>Mother deserved this. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Sonia deserves this. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Marnie will deserve this. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> What did you ever do to be worth this sort of gift? He hasn’t even slept with you yet. Once he sees just how pathetic you are, it’s over. You’ll go crawling back to your landlord on your knees. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> You’ll spend the rest of your sad, rubbish existence on your knees.</em>
</p>
<p>“Piers.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Just play along. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> We the rich man’s pet. </em>
</p>
<p>“Piers,” a warm hand cups his cheek, and the Omega is jolted from his thoughts. “Take a deep breath. You’re alright.” the key card is plucked from his fingers, and before he can process the thoughts racing through his head, Rose is gently pushing him into his new apartment.</p>
<p>He’s being guided to a sofa, partially unaware of what was happening around him. All he knows is that the Alpha is sitting next to him, running his fingers through his tangled hair.</p>
<p>“This is your home now. You’ll be safe here. Safe from anyone who would ever want to hurt you.”</p>
<p>It’s all too much for the young Omega.</p>
<p>
  <em>Worthless. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Trash. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Filth. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Whore. </em>
</p>
<p>Tears soak his cheeks, strangled sobs ripping from his throat.</p>
<p>
  <em>Guilt.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Remorse.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Fear. </em>
</p>
<p>“Breathe Piers or you’ll make yourself sick.” Rose murmurs, rubbing his back gently.</p>
<p>“I-I’m sorry, I won’t ruin anything, I promise!” he wails, remembering the embarrassment of vomiting all over the hotel's floor. The disgusted looks the maid gave him for ruining what was surely an expensive rug.</p>
<p>“Piers, that isn’t why I don’t want you to be sick,” Rose sighs, going back to stroking his hair. His fingers catch on a knot, accidentally tugging the black and white locks a little too hard.</p>
<p>
  <em>Fingers tangled in his tresses, holding his head down. He’s choking around the Alpha’s cock, barely about to breathe. Clawing desperately at the man’s thighs, struggling as fiercely as he could. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> The Alpha only laughs.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> With a strong grip on his head, he forced his shaft further down the teenager’s throat. Piers gags, vomiting around the Alpha’s cock. Hot bile spilling from the corners of his mouth and out his nose. The man roars in a rage, the back of his hand colliding with the Omega’s cheek and sending him toppling to the floor. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> He cleans himself with the edge of Piers’ shirt, storming off without paying, leaving the boy in the alleyway alone and broken. </em>
</p>
<p>Rose lets out a surprised yelp when Piers lashes out, slapping his hand away from his hair and snarling wildly. It’s reflexive, and Piers doesn’t mean to do it, but at that moment, he isn’t sitting in a cushy apartment with the richest man in Galar.</p>
<p>He’s in his alley back in Spikemuth, cold and alone.</p>
<p>The shocked look on Rose’s face brings him back to reality.</p>
<p>“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that!” Piers apologizes frantically, “I’m so sorry!” he closes his eyes, cowering back against the plush cushions.</p>
<p>“My God...what has this world done to you...” Rose whispers, and Piers feels that spark of anger filling his chest.</p>
<p>
  <em>Don’t pity me!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> It isn’t my fault!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> I just did what I had to do!</em>
</p>
<p>“I told you! I told you I was fucked! I’m broken!” Piers spits, “I warned you! It’s your own fucking fault for not listening to me!”</p>
<p>
  <em>You haven’t even been here for two hours and you’ve ruined things. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> You stupid fuck up. </em>
</p>
<p>“You aren’t broken Piers,” Rose soothes, but makes no move to close the distance between them, “You’re hurt. You need time to heal, but you will heal.”</p>
<p>“Stop it!” Piers shrieks, “Stop being nice to me! Yell at me! Punish me! Tell me what I’m doing wrong! Tell me I fucked it up already!” he doesn’t care how loud he’s being. He doesn’t care who hears.</p>
<p>It’s too much.</p>
<p>
  <em>You should never have left Spikemuth. </em>
</p>
<p>“Do you really want me to do it? To do what I think you deserve?” Rose questions and the dread drips into the pit of his belly.</p>
<p>
  <em>There it is. </em>
</p>
<p>“Yes! Just fucking do it!”</p>
<p>
  <em>He’s just another Alpha. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> He’s just another fucking Alpha. </em>
</p>
<p>In one swift movement, Piers is pulled from his seat and against Rose’s chest. Strong arms wrapping around him and holding him tightly. Just like that day back in the hotel.</p>
<p>
  <em>Soft and warm. </em>
</p>
<p>The Alpha holds him there, letting him cry into his chest once more. Petting his hair and gently rubbing his back. Whispering gently words, soothing the hysterical teenager as softly as he could.</p>
<p>“You’re going to be alright Piers. I’m not here to hurt you. I know it’s hard to believe...but I’m on your side. I’m only here to make your life better.”</p>
<p>“I don’t trust you...” Piers sobs, but he doesn’t struggle. He lets himself be held, closing his eyes tightly and trying to remember what it was like when his mother held him. What it was like to feel genuinely safe.</p>
<p>“You don’t have to trust me. We’ve only known each other for a bit...but I’ll earn your trust. I’ll do what I must to prove myself to you.” it sounds cheesy, something right out of a movie, but Piers doesn’t have the energy to give a shit.</p>
<p>The Omega closes his eyes, crying himself to sleep while the scent of roses calm his frazzled nerves.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Content warning for brief mentions of suicide near the end of the chapter. Nothing graphic.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Piers wakes, he’s dizzy and disorientated. He isn’t in his bed, he isn’t in his apartment and he certainly isn’t in Spikemuth. The sofa under him is so soft his body sinks into the cushions, and for a moment, he doesn’t care where he is as long as he can continue to sleep on something so comfortable.</p>
<p>
  <em>I’m in Wyndon. </em>
</p>
<p>Piers hauls himself into an upright position, looking around with blurry vision. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he gets his first good look around the apartment he would be calling home from here on out.</p>
<p>Everything was white.</p>
<p>White fluffy carpets, white marble walls, and white furniture.</p>
<p>He’s certain it must be some trendy statement, but it only reminds him of a sterile hospital room.</p>
<p>It’s larger than the hotel room he’d recovered in, a staircase alerting him that there was even a second floor. Piers doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do with so much room.</p>
<p>It isn’t as if he’ll be having family and friends over.</p>
<p>He glances around, spying the kitchen, with a familiar figure standing at the sink.</p>
<p>“Ah, Piers, you’re awake.” Rose smiles warming, walking over with a mug in each hand. He places the drinks on the coffee table in front of the sofa, taking up the spot next to Piers.</p>
<p>“Help yourself. It’s lavender tea, it should help you relax.” Piers takes the mug without considering what else might be in it.</p>
<p>
  <em>If he’s going to drug you, you might as well get it over with. </em>
</p>
<p>The tea is piping hot and burns his lips as he gently sips the gray liquid. It’s sweet, clearly mixed with plenty of honey, lavender coming as a faint after taste.</p>
<p>“How are you feeling?” Rose continues on, watching as Piers sipped on his tea.</p>
<p>“M’fine...sorry...I freaked out...” Piers damns himself for repeating that vicious cycle once more.</p>
<p>Guilt.</p>
<p>Fear.</p>
<p>Anger.</p>
<p>Rinse and repeat.</p>
<p>“Please don’t be sorry. I had no idea how deeply your trauma ran...I should have known bringing you into such a different environment would be stressful for you. In the future, I’ll be sure to help you acclimate to changes at a slower pace.” Rose gives his shoulder a gently pat, and Piers shrinks down.</p>
<p>“It’s not too late to take it back. My shit’s still packed.” Piers mumbles, staring down into his drink.</p>
<p>“I’m not sending you back to Spikemuth Piers. You’ll only go back if you choose to go back. On your terms, in your own time. For now, take some time to adjust to your new life. Enjoy your new home, explore the building, meet some of the others who live here.</p>
<p>Perhaps next week you can come to the city with me and do some shopping. You’ll need some new clothes after all. I’ll even postpone your lessons until the end of the month. So you have nothing to worry about but learning to love your new life.” Rose gives another award-winning smile, but Piers doesn’t have the heart to even attempt to return it. Instead, he turns the subject onto something else.</p>
<p>“Who else am I sharing this floor with.”</p>
<p>“A good question!” Rose sets his tea aside, “Right now it’s only you and one other. A young man named Bede. I believe he’s a year or so younger than yourself, so perhaps you two can get along and be good friends.” Piers swirls the tea around in his mug, the swirls of dark gray lulling him back to sleep. The Alpha was right, there was something relaxing about this tea.</p>
<p>“Well, I suppose I’ve bored you long enough,” Rose chuckles, standing from the sofa and straightening his jacket, “Do get some rest, and call me if you happen to need anything.”</p>
<p>~~~~</p>
<p>Piers spends the next few days familiarizing himself with the building. The complex was someone even bigger than he’d originally thought. A small buffet-style restaurant was situated to the left of the lobby, run by a lovely Omega woman by the name of Honey. She’d rushed out and greeted him his first visit there, hugging him tightly and welcoming him into her ‘family.’ A dazzling smile and charming southern drawl only made her that much more adorable, and Piers felt instantly at ease in her presence.</p>
<p>He’d only stopped by the gym briefly, the area buzzing with Alphas. Piers had no real reason to be there anyway, so he figures he wouldn’t be missing out on much. His body had never been able to handle much physical intensity anyhow.</p>
<p>The pool took him a day or so to locate, not expecting it to be on the rooftop. The water was heated to a pleasant warmth, shaded from the blinding afternoon sun by a retractable roof. To the edge of the pool was a small cocktail bar serving drinks at all hours of the day, manned by an Alpha woman called Klara. Her face was sweet but Piers learned quickly her tongue was laced with poison, and he made a mental note to avoid her at all costs.</p>
<p>Oleana was only around in the early hours of the morning, thought Piers was unable to tell if she was leaving for work or just getting home. Coffee always in hand, head buried in her work. It felt safer to keep his distance.</p>
<p>While the week passed by uneventfully, Piers hadn’t found the courage to wander out into the city itself yet. He was perfectly content to stay within the safety of his apartment, quietly observing and getting to know the residents.</p>
<p>It was on his sixth day there that a knock came at his front door. Curiously, he peeks the peephole, spying a young woman with sandy blonde hair standing there. Arms crossed, foot tapping against the floor impatiently. Piers cracks the door open, brow furrowed as she raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him.</p>
<p>“Can I help you?”</p>
<p>“You’re Piers, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s me.” he opens the door fully.</p>
<p>“My name is Bea. Rose asked me to come by and show you around the city,” she pauses to fix the large black bow keeping her hair swept from her face, “If you want that is. I won’t take it personally if you say no.” Bea gives a toothy grin, and Piers can’t help but smile back. She’s very clearly younger them him by a year or so, though she’s incredibly muscular. Her gym shorts and tank top show off her well-defined legs and arms, and even being half his height, could absolutely best him in a fight.</p>
<p>“I’m going to take a guess you’re the martial arts prodigy he was telling me about.”</p>
<p>Bea gives a disgusted groan, rolling her eyes and waving her arms about.</p>
<p>“Oh my God! I hate that word so much! ‘Prodigy’ this and ‘prodigy’ that! Like, for real, could he lay the pressure on any thicker?” she rants, stomping her foot and pouting.</p>
<p>Piers immediately sees a bit of Marnie in her brash attitude.</p>
<p>
  <em>That’s it, this one is my sister now too. </em>
</p>
<p>“I get that. Rose does...expect a lot doesn’t he?”</p>
<p>“Yes!! It’s never just ‘I’m good at this,’ it’s always. ‘be the best at it!’ Ugh!” Bea stops her raving, cheeks flushing red. “O-oh I kinda went off didn’t I?”</p>
<p>“Just a bit, ya.” the Omega snickers.</p>
<p>“Ok, well...do ya wanna come into the city with me or not? I got to practice in a few hours so if you want to do some shopping we need to go now.”</p>
<p>
  <em>She’s sure got an attitude on her.</em>
</p>
<p>“Just let me grab my things.”</p>
<p>~~~~</p>
<p>Wyndon is massive, and without Bea to guide him, Piers would be hopelessly lost in minutes. It felt like a never-ending maze of cafes, hotels, dress shops, boutiques, and everything in between.</p>
<p>“Ok, so, the best places are on the south side of town. They’re kinda out of the way, but fewer people visit because of that, and when I’m looking to relax, fighting a crowd of people is <em>not </em>what I call a good time.” the Alpha rambles on and on about which stores offered the widest selection, what stores specialized in certain things, where the best junk food could be found and who to go to for video games.</p>
<p>“First stop, lunch. I’m starving.” she leads Piers to a tiny cafe tucked away from the main roads. Vines covered most of the storefront, flowers weaving up the sides and overtaking the awning. Bright glittery, golden lettering is painted onto the front door.</p>
<p>
  <em>The Seven Stars</em>
</p>
<p>“This place is my absolute favorite.” Bea holds to door open for Piers as he walks in, having to duck to fit through the small door. The inside is every bit as cozy as the outside. Dark browns and greens, pots of exotic flowers and the calming scent of Jasmine.</p>
<p>Bea takes a seat near the window, and Piers followers her lead. The waitress walks over with a warm smile, placing two menus in front of the teenagers.</p>
<p>“I’m so having cake for lunch,” Bea eyes the desert counter hungrily, “Just don’t tell my trainer. He’ll have a fit if he finds out I’m not sticking to my diet.” </p>
<p>“Diet? What do you need to diet for? You’re built like a model.” Piers quips, and Bea lets out a loud laugh.</p>
<p>“Nah, nah, not that kinda diet,” she flexes her arm, gleeful showing off her muscles, “If you wanna stay in this kind of shape, you have to watch what you eat. Avoiding overly processed sugars and all that jazz. I can eat all the ‘good’ food I want, but I don’t always want the ‘good’ food.” she flops back in her chair, groaning.</p>
<p>“If I have to eat another sweet potato I might die.”</p>
<p>“Sounds tough.” Piers smirks, eyeing his own menu.</p>
<p>Each item has a picture, showing cutely decorated cakes and ice-creams. Dainty sandwiches and rich soups with a few burger options as well. It all looks amazing, till he spies to prices.</p>
<p>
  <em>Holy mother of God. </em>
</p>
<p>His good mood shrivels away, and he’s left gripping the menu for dear life.</p>
<p>
  <em>I can’t eat here. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> I can’t even afford a soda. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> What is Bea going to think?</em>
</p>
<p>“Hey...you good?” Bea waves a hand in front of his face, jolting him back to earth. He swallows his pride, lowering his head and glancing to the side.</p>
<p>“I...can't afford any of this...” he mumbles under his breath, cheeks hot with embarrassment. Bea gives a surprised tilt of the head.</p>
<p>“Didn’t Rose give you one these?” the little Alpha girl reaches into her wallet, pulling out the black and red key card. Piers suddenly remembers what Rose had told him upon arriving.</p>
<p>“O-Oh yeah, he did give me one.” Piers digs into his own wallet, fishing out the plastic card.</p>
<p>“Then you’re all good. This cafe is a partner of Rose’s, so they’ll accept it.” he lets out a long-held breath, sinking down into his seat.</p>
<p>“Dude, relax, I’m not gonna screw you into spending money you don’t have to.” she grins widely again, “Take it from me. Use that card for everything. If Rose offers to buy something, don’t turn him down.”</p>
<p>“He’s got a serious Sugar Daddy complex doesn’t he?” the Omega jumps when Bea lets out an obnoxiously loud howl of laughter. She doubled over in her seat, laughing so hard tears were streaming down her cheeks.</p>
<p>“O-oh my God, t-that’s the truest shit anyone has e-ever said about him!” he isn’t entirely certain what was so funny about what he’d just said, but Piers wasn’t going to ruin the girl's good mood.</p>
<p>“God...I needed that laugh.” she dabs her tears away with a napkin, still giggling and sorting from residual laughter. The waitress returns with their drinks, taking their orders and leaving them alone once more.</p>
<p>Bea taps her tails against the table, chin resting on the palm of her hand. She eyes Piers carefully, looking him up and down.</p>
<p>“So, I gotta ask. What did you do to get Rose interested in you?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Of course, she doesn’t know the whole story. </em>
</p>
<p>“A-ah...music. Turns out he knew my mom back in the day, and wanted to give me a chance.” he fidgets with the straw in his glass, watching the bubbles of carbonation force the straw back up to the top.</p>
<p>“I see. So your mom’s a musician is she?”</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>“Oh...no. My mom died a little over a year ago.” he feels guilty when Bea’s brilliant smile melts into genuine horror.</p>
<p>“I-I am so so sorry, I didn’t know-”</p>
<p>“It’s fine. Really,” Piers waves it off, “As you said, you didn’t know.” awkwardly, the two fidget with their drinks, the mood having gone sour.</p>
<p>“I lost my dad when I was ten,” Bea begins to pull her napkin into thin strips. “He shot himself in our garage, so...I know what it’s like to lose a parent.”</p>
<p>“That sucks...I’m sorry you had to go through that...” he didn’t know what else to say. What words can truly offer the sympathy he felt? Or express the pain that comes from losing someone so near and dear.</p>
<p>“I mean, you know the old saying. ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ I really threw myself into training after that, and a few years later got picked up by Rose. Kinda twisted but in a way...it’s sort of a blessing in disguise.” Bea offers a forced smile, but the pain behind her eyes is clear. Piers can’t bring himself to linger on the topic any longer.</p>
<p>“So, do you think I can come to one of your competitions sometime?” her eyes light up immediately.</p>
<p>“Yes! I’d love that! My mom is always nagging me to make friends, maybe this is finally get her off my back.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a comment! They really brighten up my day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a very short chapter. I was going to tack it onto the end of the last one, but I didn't want to take away from Bea's first appearance, and it didn't feel right sticking it before the next one.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rose, by all regards, considered himself a patient man. In both his work and personal life, he’d learned that good things come to those who wait. Business deals didn’t come quick, and personal connections took time. It took a special kind of person to wear his patients down to nothing, and the Alpha was quickly finding out, Bede was that type of person.</p>
<p>“I don’t care <em>who </em>he is. I’m not going to spend time with some trashy Spikemuth slut.” the platinum-haired boy had a filthy mouth and rotten temper when hard pressed, and Rose found himself growing irritated.</p>
<p>
  <em>How can one scrawny twig of a boy be such a brat? </em>
</p>
<p>“After everything I’ve done for you? You can’t bring yourself to do this one little request for me?” reason seemed to be lost on the boy, his scowl deepening, teeth flashing as he snarls.</p>
<p>“I’ve done everything you’ve asked of me!” Bede yells back, stomping his foot, “This is the only time I’ve said no! I don’t want anything to do with trash like <em>him</em>.” Bede was behaving like a spoiled brat, and Rose was getting sick of playing nice. This was nothing but ridiculous struggle for power, one that Bede has no hope of winning.</p>
<p>“Watch your mouth,” Rose warns, “That is awfully haughty language for someone sleeping up and down Motostoke only weeks ago.” he watches in satisfaction as Bede’s defiant attitude switches to blind rage.</p>
<p>“Don’t you dare compare me to something like him! I wasn’t getting fucked in the ass by dead beat Alphas for ten dollars and a hamburger,” Bede draws himself up, puffing out his chest and making himself as intimidating as possible.</p>
<p>Positively<em> adorable. </em></p>
<p>“No no, you were just much worse than that,” Rose leans down closer to the boy, looping a finger through the front of his collar and jerking him forward, a smirk across his lips, “You did it for free.”</p>
<p>“I did it because I wanted to!” Bede shouts back, “I never took a dime from any of those men!”</p>
<p>
  <em>What a twisted mind. </em>
</p>
<p>“So that makes it better, does it? Is the simple difference between a slut and a whore a measly ten dollars?” Rose gives the collar another sharp tug, and Bede yelps as he’s nearly jerked off his feet. The scent of roses fills the room as the elder man grows deadly serious.</p>
<p>“Now you listen to me little one,” the Alpha growls in his ear, taking pleasure in how the Omega shutters as his breath hit his neck, “You <em>will</em> show me respect, and you <em>will </em>do as you are told. There will be consequences for your action. Do you understand me?” Bede goes still, and Rose can practically hear the gears turning inside his head.</p>
<p>The Omega leans in, nuzzling into the Alpha’s neck, lips ghosting over his throat.</p>
<p>“So if I don’t obey, you’ll punish me?” he questions breathlessly, “You’ll teach me how to be a good boy?”</p>
<p>Rose nearly bursts out laughing.</p>
<p>
  <em>Once a slut, always a slut.</em>
</p>
<p>“If you want to continue acting like a little minx,” he grabs onto the back of the boy's collar, flinging him onto the floor with one swift yank. Bede hits the floor with a startled cry, his furious eyes flicking with fear as Rose towers over him. “I’ll let every Alpha in Wyndon have their way with you. Is that what you want?” he kneels down, tilting the boys head back and staring deep into his eyes. Bede trembles, lower lip quivering.</p>
<p>“Do you want to be a toy? Used and thrown aside when you’ve become too broken to fix? I know Alphas who would pay good money to take you home and chain you up. Keep you barefoot and pregnant, treat you like the slut you want to be.” Rose watches as Bede’s eyes fill with tears, reality snapping him back into place, his small frame doubling over.</p>
<p>“I’m s-sorry! I’m s-so s-s-s-sorry!” he wails, bowing low enough that is head touched the floor, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!”</p>
<p>
  <em>Tough love is all it takes. </em>
</p>
<p>Rose gives a heavy sigh, and with a shake of his head, he reaches for the boy's face. Cupping his cheeks into his hands, the Alpha forces Bede to look up, wiping away his tears with his thumbs.</p>
<p>“Don’t cry little one,” he soothes, “You know I’d never do that to you. I just want you to understand how lucky you are. How fortune it is that I, of all the Alphas out there, was the one to find you.” holding his arms open, Rose allows Bede to throw himself against him. Thin arms wrapped tightly around his neck, Bede continues to wail, tears, and snot dampening Rose’s blazer.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’ll be a good boy!” he cries, “I promise! I’ll do whatever you ask me to!” Rose holds him tightly, petting the Omega’s soft blond locks.</p>
<p>“I know you will because you <em>are </em>a good boy.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you enjoy my work, please consider leaving a comment. It keeps me motivated to know someone is enjoying the story!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Piers can’t remember the last time he woke up at seven in the morning for anything other than his visits to Marnie. Struggling to keep awake as he pulls on his clothes and throws his tangled hair into a messy bun. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, and he was incredibly irritated that this couldn’t wait till later in the day.</p><p>“Your tutor will be here at exactly seven-thirty. He’s very punctual, so I expect you to be up and ready for when he arrives.” Rose had spoken to him over the phone the night before, giving Piers the rundown on what expectations he held for him.</p><p>“Do your best. If you struggle to understand something, speak up. I’m not expecting you to learn everything overnight, but I would like you to maintain decent grades.”</p><p>It was much easier said than done. Piers had never been to school before, the little knowledge he had been taught to him directly by his mother. Spikemuth was one of the last remaining cities in Galar that didn’t require Omegas to attend school.</p><p>
  <em>What good does education do a whore?</em>
</p><p>The thought doesn’t have time to fester, as the expected knock on the door comes at exactly seven-thirty. Taking a deep breath, the Omega opens the door cautiously, uneasy with letting a stranger into his new home.</p><p>
  <em>If Rose sent him, he can’t be that bad. </em>
</p><p>“Good morning Piers. My name is Kabu.” the tutor is every bit as stuffy as Piers had expected. Salt and pepper hair, dressed in well-tailored dress pants and dark gray sweater, a pair of half rim glasses perched on his thin nose.</p><p>
  <em>An Alpha...how wonderful. </em>
</p><p>Piers forces an uneasy smile on his face, nervously accepting the handshake being offered to him.</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you. Rose has spoken highly about you.” Kabu stalks into the apartment, setting his things down at the kitchen table and unpacking them. Piers is about to return the greeting when a deep sense of unease creeps over him.</p><p>“Tell me what level of schooling have you had up until this point.” Kabu continues to unpack books, papers, and other basic school supplies.</p><p>“None...I’ve not been to school before.” he stumbles over his words, brain trying to pinpoint what exactly about this situation was presenting itself as a threat.</p><p>
  <em>He’s just an old man. </em>
</p><p>Kabu raises an inquisitive eyebrow, but withholds and snarky remarks he might be thinking.</p><p>“Are you able to read? To write?” it’s a reasonable question to ask someone who’s just admitted to having never received an education, but it still feels horribly condescending.</p><p>“Yes’sir.” his heart is pounding against his chest.</p><p>
  <em>What are you so scared of?</em>
</p><p>“What about math? Addition, subtraction, division, or multiplication?” Kabu takes a seat, sorting through his things.</p><p>“I can do the basics.” Piers pulls himself from the spot he was glued to, sitting opposite of his tutor. The Alpha continues to sort through papers, paying the Omega no mind.</p><p>“I’d like for you to do this worksheet,” Kabu pulls a sheet of paper out and places it in front of Piers. “Just answer what you can. If you don’t know how to do something, skip it over it. This will help me judge where we need to start.” it’s simple enough, and Piers does recognize most of what the work requires.</p><p>Keeping his head down, he quietly goes about filling out the answers.</p><p>4 x 4 = 12</p><p>90 + 50 =140</p><p>42 – 13 = 29</p><p>It doesn’t take him long to finish, and Kabu gives a satisfied nod.</p><p>“Good. You understand all the basics. That will save a lot of time and struggle. Now, do the same thing with this page.”</p><p>Again, Piers fills everything out to the best of his ability, glancing up at the older Alpha from time to time. He isn’t paying much attention to Piers, too busy grading the work of what the Omega assumes is other students.</p><p>“Are you done?” Kabu catches Piers staring, and the Omega quietly shakes his head, focusing back on his work.</p><p>40÷8= 5</p><p>418÷19= 22</p><p>His focus is starting to fade, as the dread builds inside him. The numbers are blurring together, panic filling his chest, drowning out the sound of Kabu speaking to him. A sharp tap on the table in front of Piers jolts him back to reality, a scared yelp slipping free.</p><p>“Are you done? I told you not to linger on what you don’t understand.” Kabu is eyeing him, though Piers isn’t sure what sort of look it is.</p><p>Disdain?</p><p>Irritation?</p><p>Pity?</p><p>No, there was something more to it, and Piers doesn’t like it.</p><p>He hands the worksheet back over, doing his best to not make it obvious just how hard he was staring.</p><p>
  <em>Come on, he hasn’t done anything to you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You’re overreacting. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Stop being so suspicious. </em>
</p><p>“You don’t know how to do fractions?” Piers doesn’t even know what that is.</p><p>“No sir.”</p><p>“Alright, we’ll start with that.” the lesson continues, but Piers can’t focus. The numbers are mixing, and each time he asks Kabu to repeat himself, the elder Alpha grows more and more annoyed.</p><p>“It isn’t that difficult, you just need to focus a little more.” each wrong answer only brings his anxiety higher and higher, and he just wishes it would end. The clock is moving at an agonizingly slow pace, and even when an hour passes, he’s still only one the second question.</p><p>“Let’s take a break from this,” Kabu slips the paper away, and instead of feeling relieved, Piers feels humiliated in his incompetence. “Perhaps you’ll fare better with literature.”</p><p>Kabu presents him with a book, and Piers flips through it curiously.</p><p>“You said you can read, correct?”</p><p>“Yes’sir.”</p><p>“Good. Read the first chapter of that and answer the questions on this page.” another sheet is placed in front of him, and Piers chews his lip. Quietly, he opens the book, flipping to the first chapter and begins to read.</p><p>Sure enough, it is simple. Overly simple. Big bold words and pictures along the sides, clearly a book meant for small children, and Piers can’t help but feel mildly insulted. Even without a formal education, he wasn’t totally stupid.</p><p>
  <em>Stop taking shit so personally. </em>
</p><p>The pages are finished quickly enough, and he sets the book aside, taking up his pen and writing down the necessary answers.</p><p>“Very good,” Kabu takes the worksheet, giving a nod of approval, “Some spelling errors, but you obviously grasp the basics. I want you to do the same thing, read the first chapter, and answer the questions.” it’s boring and repetitive, but Piers doesn’t complain. Taking the new book and finding the first chapter, dread seeps in again.</p><p>The words are much smaller, and they blur together as Piers tried to read. Swirling and mixing into a gray puddle. He struggles to make it through the first sentence, forgetting everything he’s read by the time he reaches the end of the first page.</p><p>“You’re taking much more time.” Kabu clearly had taken notice, and Piers feels hot shame bubbling up.</p><p>“Sorry...” he mumbles, trying to quickly re-scan the first page and grasp the plot as weakly as possible.</p><p>“Are you having trouble understanding what it’s saying?” there’s a small tug at the corners of the Alpha’s lips, “Are the words too big?” Piers wants to leap across the table and slap that smirk off his face.</p><p>
  <em>Stop it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Let it go. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Not everyone is mocking you. </em>
</p><p>“No sir. When I have to look at a page with a lot of small text, it kinda blurs together.” Piers forces a polite smile, irritation pricking under his skin. Kabu’s serious expression returns so quickly, Piers begins to doubt he’d been smirking at all.</p><p>“Have you had your eyes checked recently?”</p><p>“Never had ‘em checked.” Kabu frown deepens.</p><p>“Your parents never had your vision checked?”</p><p>
  <em>Oh, he doesn’t know. </em>
</p><p>“My parents are dead sir.” Piers spits with venom, satisfaction hitting him as Kabu looks taken aback.</p><p>“If you’ve been staying in a foster home or orphanage, they should have taken you regardless-”</p><p>“I come from Spikemuth.” it’s all the explanation the old Alpha needs, concern morphing into horror. He falls silent, losing the grip on his pen and letting it clatter to the table while making no move to pick it back up.</p><p>At first, Piers is confused, unsure of just why the old man felt the need to express such a drastic display of shock.</p><p>Not until the same realization strikes the Omega.</p><p>
  <em>Salt and pepper hair. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> That stern face. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Thin lips and narrow eyes. </em>
</p><p>“Fuck.” Piers feels his voice go high and tight, leaping back from his seat at the table, he makes a mad dash for the front door.</p><p>
  <em>Where do I even go?</em>
</p><p>
  <em> I can’t outrun him going down the stairs. </em>
</p><p>“W-what, don’t leave!” the Alpha is on his feet, scrambling after the Omega, but Piers is quicker. He’s vanished into the hall and fled into the stairwell before Kabu can even make it up from the kitchen table.</p><p>
  <em>Don’t go down. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Go up.</em>
</p><p>~~~~</p><p>Rose valued the private moments he had to himself. Relaxing in his favorite recliner, a good book in hand while an antique record player filled the room with classical music. During these moments, he gave Oleana very clear instructions to not bother him unless there happened to be an emergency.</p><p>Anything short of Galar sinking into the ocean was not an emergency.</p><p>So when the frantic <em>bang bang bang </em>of fists against his door jolts him from his place in his novel, Rose can’t help but grow irritated.</p><p>Inserting his favorite bookmark, teal, and copper with elephants painted in gold foil, into his novel, the Alpha sets it aside. The front door only steps away, and he’s fully prepared to scold whoever dared to bother him during his precious moments away from work.</p><p>“Piers?” the irritation floods away upon seeing the young Omega standing there, fist mid knock, the look of pure terror etched into his pale face.</p><p>“What on Earth is the matter?” Rose doesn’t have time to hear an explanation before the stairwell bursts open and Kabu coming scrambling into view.</p><p>“Piers! Please, come back to your room and let us finish your lessons.” the elder Alpha calms himself immediately, shifting from panic to calm and collected in seconds. A change that doesn’t go unnoticed by Rose.</p><p>“Someone had better tell me what is going on here,” Rose growls, not expecting to feel Piers pushing his frail body closer against his.</p><p>“Don’t make me go back with him,” the Omega whispers, head hung low in a clear display of submission, “Please, <em>help me.</em>”</p><p>“Rose, I don’t know what the problem is. We were simply going about our lesson when he suddenly panicked and fled the room.” Kabu steps closer, and Piers lets out a terrified screech, practically clawing to get behind Rose.</p><p>“I think you should leave us now,” Rose replies coolly, waving a dismissive hand towards the elder Alpha. Kabu opens his mouth to disagree, but the long, low growl Rose produces is enough to signal for him to back down.</p><p>Taking a set to the side, Rose allows Piers to flee into his apartment.</p><p>~~~</p><p>Piers knows he shouldn’t be in here.</p><p>Curled up in the darkest, farthest corner of Rose’s bathroom closet, arms wrapped round his knees, face buried as he wills his heart to stop pounding so loudly. Logically, he knows he’s safe in here, locked away from the outside world, but his instincts told him that danger was still lurking around him.</p><p>In the shadows.</p><p>Ingrained in the wood.</p><p>Seeping up through the cracks in the floor.</p><p>A pitiful sob chokes Piers, fingers racking through his tangled locks.</p><p>
  <em>Breathe. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Calm down. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Stop acting like a bitch. </em>
</p><p>A gentle knock at the door.</p><p>“Piers? May I come in?” Rose is standing right outside, Piers can see his shoes through the slit between the floor and door. There’s no energy left in him to respond, his body content to simply shut down and ignore all the noise around him.</p><p>“I’m going to open the door.” the warning is appreciated, but the blinding light of the bathroom only heightens his fear, every muscle in his body tightening down as the looking figure of Rose is silhouetted in the light. The Alpha knees down, sitting outside the closet and quietly watching the Omega for a few moments.</p><p>“Can you tell me what happened?”</p><p>Piers finds it impossible to speak.</p><p>“Are you hurt?”</p><p>He shakes his head, hair spilling around him.</p><p>Neither Alpha nor Omega makes a move for nearly half an hour. Piers, tangled up in his hair and limbs, sobbing weakly as Rose simply waits. Hands resting in his lap as he watches the Omega’s form tremble with each pathetic cry.</p><p>Finally, Piers lifts his head just enough to peek up from behind his bangs.</p><p>“Can you come out and talk to me?” Rose offers his hand, and Piers reaches out. The sleeve of his shirt rides up, and the Alpha’s eyes go wide in shock. On display where the freshly healed scars from only a month or so prior. Still white and light pink, raised and angry. Rose runs his thumb over the scars, feeling Piers tense under his touch.</p><p>“How long ago?” he quietly asks as Piers untangles himself and slips out of the closet.</p><p>“The day I ran away from the hotel.” the Omega mumbles, leaning up against the glass shower door. The dark bags under his eyes are much more noticeable now that he isn’t caked with makeup, hair falling free from the bun he’d tried to keep it contained in hours earlier.</p><p>“What happened with Kabu?” Rose sees the teenager tense up once more.</p><p>“I don’t wanna say.” Piers begins to curl back up into himself, but Rose stops him. Holding onto both his wrists with one hand and cupping his cheek with the other.</p><p>“I can not protect you from what I don’t know is a threat,” Rose says quietly as Piers melts into his touch, “Tell me what happened.”</p><p>“You won’t believe me.” Piers feels his mouth go dry.</p><p>“I bet I will.” Rose counters.</p><p>A moment of mournful silence.</p><p>“He was a client once back ‘n Spikemuth.” Piers finally mumbles, cheeks flushing with shame. He closes his eyes, finding himself back in his alley. Large hands gripping his waist, thick cock pressed into his ass….</p><p>“Kabu? Are you certain Piers? Kabu has a wife-”</p><p>“I know he does, he told me that night,” Piers pulls away from Rose’s touch, jerking his wrists free, “He told me I was too loose. I was a lousy fuck. He came too fast and ran off with his tail between his legs in embarrassment.” there’s snarl on his thin lips, eyes cutting up at Rose.</p><p>
  <em>Go on, deny it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Tell me I’m mistaken. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck y-</em>
</p><p>“I’ll make certain he never teaches in this region again.” the aura around Rose isn’t like anything Piers had seen the Alpha show before.</p><p>Anger.</p><p>Furry.</p><p>Blind rage.</p><p>Piers sinks back, lowering his head as his heart pounds in his chest.</p><p>An Alpha is still an Alpha regardless of who they might be.</p><p>“I’m sorry I put you through that Piers, if I had known, I assure you he wouldn’t have come within a thousand feet of Wyndon.”</p><p>“Don’t matter,” Piers mumbles, “You know what I am. Probably slept with half the Alphas in this city anyway. Can’t run from all of ‘em.”</p><p>“Stop it.” Rose snaps, and Piers flinches, whimpering quietly. The Alpha snakes his hands around the Omega’s face, holding it steady as he looks into his eyes.</p><p>“Stop degrading yourself. You did what you had to do to survive in a city that had the odds stacked against you. There is no shame in surviving, no matter the cost. We all have parts of our past that haunt us, the key is turning our demons into our pets. Let our pain provide the fuel for a better tomorrow,” he sweeps the hair from Piers's face, smiling gently, “I for one, am proud of what you have already accomplished. Look at you, only here for a short time and already you’ve made yourself at home. Working so hard to overcome our troubles. You so bravely let Kabu into your home, ready to learn and show how truly brilliant you are.</p><p>I was the one that failed today. I should have known better than to place an Alpha at your doorstep knowing whats happened to you. For that, I truly apologize. You have every right to be angry with me for placing you in that situation.” those words bring conflicting emotions into Piers's fragile mind. He wants to be angry, to push this Alpha away, and damn him for failing him just like everyone before him had as well. Spit venom in his eyes, claw his way out, and seclude himself back in his room, alone and safe.</p><p>Instead, words fail him, the crash following a burst of adrenaline making Piers sleepy and less spiteful. Shoulders going slack, he lets his head drop, hair covering his face once more.</p><p>“Why don’t you stay and have dinner with me tonight? We can discuss things that I can be sure to avoid in the future to avoid any more unnecessary frights. How does that sound?” Rose gets to his feet with a low groan, knees popping as he right himself. He offers a hand to Piers, who slowly takes it and allows himself to be pulled upright.</p><p>It doesn’t feel right to stay.</p><p>Alone in this luxurious apartment with an Alpha who is more than capable of hurting him.</p><p>His mother’s words come to mind.</p><p>
  <em>“Never trust an Alpha.”</em>
</p><p>“Sure, I guess that’s fine,” he mumbles, ignoring the ring of his mother’s distant screams in his ears.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The next chapter...things will get interesting</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hadn't intended to take such a long break from updating, however, life got in the way. I've been my grandfather's caretaker for nearly three years now, and in the last two months, things really went downhill with his health. We lost him last Saturday, and in addition, my grandmother is fighting COVID as well. This chapter isn't complete, and I'm not satisfied with it, but I wanted to post something before I officially take a break for a while. I will return, as I have a lot more planned for this story, but I need to be with my family right now. I hope y'all will still be around when I come back.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The apartment was ridiculously large. Every time Piers was certain he couldn’t see a larger, unnecessary show of wealth, Rose was there to prove him wrong. Each room was lavishly decorated, trinkets and valuables from every region displayed for all to see. More reminiscent of a museum than a home.</p>
<p>“I gotta ask,” Piers quietly shuffles into the kitchen, finding Rose preparing dinner at the stove, “What the hell is with all the elephants.” they littered every room, big, small, wooden, glass, crystal, ornate and realistic. Perched on every shelf, stitched into the rugs, and painted on the mirrors.</p>
<p>Rose chuckles, lifting up a pair of elephant-shaped salt and pepper shakes to show to the young Omega.</p>
<p>“I know, I’ve gone overboard with my collection. Oleana says it’s ridiculous for a grown man such as myself to horde such ‘nonsense.’”</p>
<p>Piers shrugs, taking the little set of shakers and turning them over in his hands. Heavy, carved from marble, and completely impractical.</p>
<p>“I don’t give a shit if you collect them, just curious, why elephants of all creatures.”</p>
<p>“Well, firstly, I just think they’re rather adorable.” simple enough, Piers can’t argue with that, “Secondly, do you know what elephants symbolize?” the omega shakes his head, “In many cultures elephants symbolize good luck, wisdom, fertility, power, and protection. Perhaps it’s silly of me, but I can’t help but feel as if they’ve brought me good fortune.” Rose begins to plate the prepared food, and Piers places the shakers onto the dining table.</p>
<p>“If your bank account is any indication, then yeah, I’d say it fucking worked,” he mumbles, flinching when Rose barks out a laugh.</p>
<p>“You’ve a sharp whit about you. I enjoy it.” Rose grins, placing the food onto the table, reaching for a bottle of wine stored in a hidden, chilled, cupboard below the sink. He flashes the bottle at Piers, pulling two glasses from the wrack next to the drinks.</p>
<p>“Ey, no thanks. I ain’t in the mood to drink.” he might be crazy, but Piers wasn’t stupid. Drinking alone with an Alpha would only lead to trouble. Rose only nods his understanding, and much to his relief, placed the wine back and opts for a soda instead.</p>
<p>“I suppose you are too young. You act like such an adult I forget you aren’t even able to drink yet,” he offers Piers a soda as well, and he takes it gratefully. “Though I’m one to talk. My father let me start to drink with him and his friends when I was only thirteen. Not the most responsible of choices I would say.”</p>
<p>“I’ve drank before, but can’t say I enjoy it,” taking his seat opposite Rose, Piers lifts his fork and pokes at the food in front of him. Mixed greens, freshly grilled salmon, and a roasted potato. “Don’t get why people think it’s so good. Shit taste like gasoline and burns all the way down.”</p>
<p>Rose snorts, waving the Omega off.</p>
<p>“You have to acquire the taste for it. Much like coffee, you don’t just take one sip and enjoy it right away. You start small, with lots of creams, and work your way up to enjoy the best-roasted beans without any added flavors.”</p>
<p>“Too much work,” Piers picks apart the salmon, flakes of light pink meat stick to his fork while he’s unsure of if he was supposed to eat the skin or not, “If I have to learn to like it, I don’t need it.”</p>
<p>“Might be best to not get a taste for alcohol. Too many get an addiction to it,” Rose shakes his head, but the look of melancholy isn’t lost on Piers. The Omega takes a bit of fish, wondering if he should ask.</p>
<p>“Speaking from experience?” he mumbles the question as he sips his drink. Rose gives a half-hearted smile.</p>
<p>“Ah, yes. My father was a rather nasty drunkard. Though he didn’t indulge often, when he did, everyone knew about it.”</p>
<p>“I get that,” Piers chews his lower lip, “I heard my dad was bad about drinking.” this catches the Alpha’s attention, pausing his meal to listen intently.</p>
<p>“You’ve not mentioned your father before. Is he still around?”</p>
<p>“Hell no. Never knew him myself. Mom left him a few weeks after I was born. Dunno all the details, she didn’t like talk’n bout it, but from what I gathered he got drunk and beat her pretty regularly. The last straw was when he came home, drunk and reeking of another Omega, and beat her into an early labor.” the memory was fuzzy, but he knows his mother was running a brush through his hair, softly explaining why he didn’t have both parents.</p>
<p>Why she was better on her own.</p>
<p>“So you and your sister don’t share a father?”</p>
<p>“No. Marnie was...” he trails off, stomach twisting, the taste of the fish turning sour on his tongue. “It don’t matter. Marnie is my sister. Same dad or not.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Are you ready to be a big brother Piers?” Diana hummed, stroking her son’s black and white locks from his face. The young boy frowned, fidgeting with his sleeves. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Dunno...Dunno nothing ‘bout babies.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “You’ll learn quickly. I know I did.” she chuckles, “You’ll have so much fun showing her how to do things. </em>
  <em>How to talk and talk. The first time she crawls, to the first solid food she eats. It’s so exciting to watch babies learn.” Piers isn’t fully convinced, but keeps his doubts to himself. Reaching out, he gently lays a hand to his mother’s swollen belly, smiling softly as his unborn sister kicks his palm. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Does it hurt when she kicks?” he asks as the movement continues. It feels so weird, unnatural to see the taunt skin being pushed by someone on the inside. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Like a weird alien.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “A little, but it’s worth it. I know if she’s kicking, she must be healthy and strong,” she smiles softly, sorrow  painted behind her eyes, “You always had me so frightened. You barely ever moved while I carried you. The doctors assured me you were fine, you’d start to kick when you were ready, but I guess you were never ready because you never kicked.” Diana laughs, hooking her finger under her son’s collar and pulling him close enough to kiss his forehead. Piers whines, annoyed with the affection he felt so smothered with. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “...Hey, Mama?” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Hm?” Diana raises an eyebrow, noticing her son’s worried expression. “What is it, baby?” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Piers sits back, pulling his knees up and resting his chin atop them. He looks away, chewing a lock of his hair nervously. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Mama… If I ask you something, you promise not to get mad?” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Of course baby. What’s on your mind?” </em>
  <em>she reaches out and tugs the hair from his mouth. Piers sticks his tongue out playfully but quickly goes back to being somber. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “I…I know you don’t like me talk’n bout it, but...If I ever have to...ya know...work the streets...am I gonna have to have a baby too?” he regrets asking it as soon as he says it, watching the color drain from his mother’s face. Her tired eyes holding back eyes as she forces a smile. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “You will never have to work the streets. I won’t let that happen to you.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “No Mama...I mean...what if I do?” Piers knows he shouldn’t push the question, but the anxiety weighed so heavily on his mind. Diana sighs heavily, bringing her hands to rest atop her belly. </em>
</p>
<p><em>“</em><em>I’ve always been honest with you Piers. I know lying to ya and keeping the truth from ya is only gonna make life in this town harder. Maybe it was wrong of me to do that...maybe I’ve taught you things no child should have to know...but</em> <em>I see no good coming from me blinding you to the reality of our situation.” </em><em>swallowing thickly, she continues, “If, God forbid, you ever have to work the streets, there are things you will learn. </em><em>Alphas...How do I put this...” she trails off, thinking of all the ways she shouldn’t explain such a thing to her young son, </em></p>
<p>
  <em> “</em>
  <em>Pregnancy makes an Omega much more desirable to an Alpha. If I was bonded properly to a mate, they would most likely not pay me a second glance, but...an unbonded pregnant Omega is a beacon to Alphas. They come crawling out of the woodwork to get near us. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> That’s why...That’s why I decided to have your sister. I knew the money I could make while I carried her would provide for us for months to come. I know...it must sound so terrible...” tears drip down her cheeks, “Yes, Piers, if you ever have to work the streets, you will probably find yourself pregnant.” </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to everyone who sent me well wishes. I greatly appreciate all your kind words. I'm going to try to update more regularly again!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Formal gatherings were a thing Piers had only ever seen on television. The idea that people would get together without obnoxious music blaring loud enough to drown out the possibility of conversions or the comfort of drugs to numb the awkwardness of socializing was bizarre.</p><p>Piers himself was far from a social butterfly, choosing the comfort of his shitty cocoon over the pure horror that was a party. So when Rose informed him he would be meeting all of his other ‘success’ stories at a formal get together that weekend, Piers was far from thrilled.</p><p>Holed up in the lobby of the hotel that was graciously hosting the wealthiest individuals in all of Galar, Piers kept his head down, eyes glued to his phone.</p><p>
  <em> Piers: This bites, I wanna go home. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sonia: Have u even gone in yet?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Piers: No. The big boss man told me to wait. Wants to parade me around like a show dog. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sonia: Aw, come on, it can’t b that bad. Think of all the free food u can stuff urself with.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Piers: Could do that back at my apartment. Alone.</em>
</p><p>The sound of the lobby doors sliding open gets his attention, and sure enough, in walks Rose with Oleana hot on his heels. The Alpha is positively beaming, shaking hands with the hotel staff, and signing autographs for the pleading maids.</p><p>Piers snorts under his breath, resisting the urge to shout something about the cruelty of social classes and how rude it is to think something as simple as signing your name on the flimsy material of napkin would greatly improve those poor Omega’s lives.</p><p>
  <em>Let it go. Now isn’t the time. </em>
</p><p>“Piers, I see you decided to wear the suit I had made for you.” Rose approaches with that same stupid smile, and Piers huffs, looking away. He’d be draft to turn up in anything other than the expensive outfit his benefactor had to graciously sent him. Though the urge to wear one of his mother’s scandalous latex mini dresses had crossed his mind.</p><p>Jet black jacket and trousers, white waistcoat, and a blood-red tie. It felt just as expensive as it looked and took him over an hour to put on. Even the videos online didn’t clear up exactly how he was supposed to tie his tie, so he opted to leave it hanging loosely around his neck.</p><p>“Come here, we can’t have you going in looking sloppy.” Rose motions for him to come closer, and with a heavy sigh, Piers pockets his phone and obeys. The Alpha plucks the tie from around his neck and begins to adjust it properly.</p><p>Over, under, crisscrossed it seemed like a bloody puzzle and Piers still couldn’t keep up even while watching Rose do it right under his nose.</p><p>“There, that’s better. Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it over time. It’s difficult for everyone at first.” Rose chuckles, patting Piers on the back and guiding him over to the elevator. Oleana inters last, pressing the buttons for the proper floor and to force the doors closed before any nosy reporters could sneak on.</p><p>“How are you feeling? Nervous?” the Alpha presses and Piers only shrugs.</p><p>“Kinda. I’m not going in with high expectations. Doubt anyone is going to think much of a Spikemuth slut.” the Omega watches with satisfaction as Oleana’s face twitches at those words.</p><p>“None of that tonight Piers,” Rose scolds, “Tonight, you leave all that behind. Just be polite and everyone will like you just fine.” the elevator doors open to a ballroom, and Piers is temporarily stunned.</p><p>It’s bright.</p><p>Blindingly bright.</p><p>The floors are white marble and the walls are mirrored nearly all the way around in a dizzying fashion. He finds it difficult to focus on who was really there and who was simply a reflection. Tables overflowing with food line the walls, an open bar at the far end of the room with a familiar face tending it.</p><p>No one really bothers to stop what they’re doing to look up, and Piers does feel a sense of relief that Rose doesn’t give him some ridiculously over the top entrance that would only fuel his already anxious state of mind.</p><p>Taking in a deep breath and catching the nauseating amount of smells, Piers takes a few seconds to adjust himself.</p><p>“Piers! Hey, hey Piers!” a voice he recognizes calls out to him, and instantly he feels relieved to see Bea waving him over. She's all smiles as her golden hair is pulled neatly up into a bun, her shimmering orange ballgown trailing the floor as she dashes over.</p><p>“Ey, a friendly face.” Piers lets out a sigh of relief and accepts to hug she flings onto him.</p><p>“Oh my God, you have no idea how happy I am to see you,” she pulls a face, “It’s so boring here. Everyone is talking about finances and business propositions and all that grown-up bullshit.”</p><p>Rose wags a finger, frowning.</p><p>“Ah, ah, ah, language Bea.” her cheeks darken as she lowers her head.</p><p>“Sorry Mr. Rose.” she fidgets with a speck of glitter on her dress, shuffling from side to side.</p><p>“Why don’t you take Piers around and introduce him to everyone. I’m sure he would be happier with you leading him around than spending all evening with an old man like me.” the Alpha gives the girl a wink, and she grins, nodding quickly. Taking ahold of Piers's hand, Bea leads him off.</p><p>“Dude, these parties are the worst. I <em>hate </em>having to wear stupid dresses.” Bea rants, stopping when she’s certain they’re out of earshot of Rose and Oleana.</p><p>“But Oleana is all, ‘You have to dress like a proper young lady,’ and ‘You have a certain image to uphold.’ Like, I’m a martial artist. I kick ass. You don’t kick ass in a fucking ballgown,” Bea hisses, “This stupid bun is giving me a headache, and the glitter on this dress itches like a rash. I don’t get why I can’t just wear a suit like the guys do. Hell, some of the girls have worn them too!”</p><p>Piers can’t help but laugh, and the pout Bea gives at his laughter only makes him laugh even harder.</p><p>“I’m so glad you get it. I spent an hour trying to get this suit on tonight,” he grins, “The trousers are wedged up to my asshole and this tie is strangling me. I’d kill to be in a dress.”</p><p>“Hows’bout we go to the bathroom and switch? See how everyone reacts to you in a bright orange ballgown and me in your suit? I bet that old witch Oleana would have a heart attack.” Bea is only half-joking, but her offer doesn’t have a chance to be taken or denied. A deep bellowing voice makes him both jump.</p><p>“Oi, you talking shit ‘bout my dress?” from the crowd a young man emerges with a glass in hand. Piers places him roughly in his late twenties, heavyset build with blond hair gelled back. A pair of too small sunglasses rest on his nose, the suit he wore hung open, waistcoat unbuttoned down to his chest.</p><p>Bea swats his arm.</p><p>“Shit Gordie, you scared the hell outta me.” Bea huffs, crossing her arms in an over-exaggerated pout.</p><p>“Sorry squirt, couldn’t help it,” he takes a swig from his glass, “You’re so easy to tease. Reminds me of my little sisters.” motioning with his free hand, Gordie points to Piers with a smirk.</p><p>“You gotta be the new guy. Piers, right?” the Omega nods awkwardly.</p><p>“Good to see the suit fits. I hate when Rose sends me a request for someone and doesn’t bring them in. Makes it hellva lot harder to get the measurements right, and if I’m even half a centimeter off he pitches a fit about it.” he takes another drink, leaning up against the wall heavily.</p><p>“I tells him, I tells him every time, just bring ‘em down to my shop. I’ll fix ‘em right up, but no, he ain’t got the time for it so I gotta bust my ass trying to get shit just right.” another swig of the amber liquid.</p><p>“Ugh Gordie,” Bea crinkles her nose, “It’s too early to be drunk. Lay off the scotch will ya?” she tugs Piers away, discretely flipping the bird behind the ruffles of her dress.</p><p>“Well, that wasn’t the best first impression, but that was Gordie,” Bea finds another empty spot along the walls and stops. “He’s a good guy. He really is. He’s just been out of sorts lately. Had a big blow out fight with his mother and spends most of his time drinking now.”</p><p>Piers grin grows wider.</p><p>“Aren’t you the little gossip? Details, I want details.”</p><p>Bea leans in closer, whispering just loud enough to be heard over the murmurer of the crowd.</p><p>“You didn’t hear it from me...but Gordie’s mom is super traditional. A real nice lady, but very traditional. When she found out Gordie was dating another Alpha she flipped her lid. They got into a massive fight and haven’t spoken to each other in months,” Bea frowns, “It’s really sad. Gordie is super close to his family, so it’s been killing him to be apart from them like this. I honestly think they could work it out, but both of them are too stubborn to try.</p><p>Whenever Melony comes over to tutor me she spends half the time talking about how much she misses Gordie and wishes he would call her. I think she knows she was in the wrong, but like hell is she gonna admit it.”</p><p>Something twists in Piers's gut.</p><p>Bea waves it off and continues.</p><p>“Gordie is a fashion designer and does all of our clothing for events. Rose recruited him right out of college and even gave his mother a job working a private tutor for us younger ones. Have you met her yet? Surely, Rose has you taking lessons.”</p><p>Piers shakes his head.</p><p>“No, I had an old guy called Kabu. It...didn't work out.” Bea looks bewildered.</p><p>“Kabu? What the hell did he give you Kabu for? That geezer isn’t a tutor, he’s a soccer coach.”</p><p>The confusion only mounts.</p><p>“Wait, what? A coach? You mean, he’s never tutored you before?”</p><p>“Hell no, Melony is the only tutor I’ve ever had. She tutors me and Allister. All the others are either in college or out of school. That’s super weird, you should bring it up with Rose and find out what the hell he was thinking.”</p><p>Piers is certain he won’t forget to ask. Before he can continue his questioning, Bea is waving someone else over. Piers isn’t sure who at first, but as the crowd starts to part, there’s no mistaking the person Bea was frantically waving over.</p><p>“Holy shit.” Piers's mouth feels dry he sees a face that only ever greeted him from magazines and billboards.</p><p>She walks with grace and poise, a floor-length silky black dress clinging to her curves with a slit clear up to her hip. Long nails manicured with stiletto points and coated blue and gold, her hair hanging down to the small of her back with a halo braid across her forehead. Large gold hoops in her ears, lips painted glossy pink, sharp blue eyes looking Piers up and down.</p><p>It feels as if his heart is going to pound out of his chest, palms going clammy. Bea opens her mouth to introduce them, but Piers cuts her off.</p><p>“Nessa.”</p><p>The woman smiles brightly, perfectly straight, and peal white teeth dazzling behind her glossy pink lips. Her skin is a rich dark umber, complexion perfect, and devoid of any imperfections. All those things Piers chalked up to photo-shop turned out to be the real, honest to God deal.</p><p>“You know who I am?” her voice is strong, a playful twinkle in her eye.</p><p>“S-sorry,” he isn’t sure why he’s apologizing, and neither does she.</p><p>“What are you sorry for? It’s not a crime to recognize a celebrity,” she teases, “I take it you must be Piers?”</p><p>He can’t believe it.</p><p>His childhood idol knows his name.</p><p>She knows who he is.</p><p>This can not be real.</p><p>“Y-yeah, ‘at’s me.” the words catch in his throat, coming out high and strangled. Piers is certain his ghostly pale face has turned bright as punch.</p><p>“It’s lovely to finally meet you. Rose has been gushing about you for weeks now. Might say I’m a bit jealous of all the attention he’s giving you.” her laughter is like music, and Piers finds it contagious enough to force out a pitiful giggle.</p><p>“I-I hope this ain’t too strange b-but I want to say thank you.” Piers gives a deep bow, and Nessa looks bewildered.</p><p>“What are you thanking me for?” she furrows her brow, pressing one long nail under his chin and lifting his face.</p><p>“I-it sounds dumb but...growing up I always looked forward to your shows. It kinda...gave me a reason to keep going some days.” it sounds so silly when he says it out loud, and he’s certain Bea is hiding a snicker behind her hands. Nessa only offers a gracious smile and pulls him into a hug.</p><p>Piers is caught off guard, going stiff as she squeezes him tightly. She’s warm and welcoming, her scent a mixture of petrichor and an ocean breeze.</p><p>“That isn’t dumb at all. Everyone finds comfort in something, and I’m honored I would have helped you through such tough times.” pulling away she holds him at arm's length, looking him up and down with bird bright eyes.</p><p>“Tell you what. How about I have a chat with Rose and get you signed up to work on my next photoshoot?”</p><p>Piers could have passed out right then and there.</p><p>“I-I ain’t good enough to work with someone like you-”</p><p>“I don’t want to hear it,” Nessa cuts him off with a stern gaze, “If I say you should work with me that should be all the proof you need to know you’re worth it. Now, tell me, what sort of style are you into.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you can't tell I simp for Nessa, I failed.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you could leave a comment telling me if you want characters from other games to come in, that would be a big help. I've been contemplating having characters from other regions make appearances, but I'm not sure if that would ruin it for you guys.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bea, Nessa and Piers spend what feels like hours chattering away about the future photoshoot plans. Gossiping over who was wearing what brands that evening and talking shit about Rose’s choice in casual wear.</p>
<p>“Seriously, where the hell does he find those ugly ass shirts.” Nessa takes a swig from her champagne flute, rolling her eyes to the sky. “We’ve all told him a million times how tacky those outfits are but no, it’s like he enjoys dressing up as someone’s old man.”</p>
<p>“Just throw in a few dad jokes and he’s fit the part perfectly.” Bea snorts. Piers laughs, feeling truly at ease for the first time in weeks. Bea and Nessa were to welcoming, not once mocking him for his thick accent or lack of proper education. Never chastising him for being too rough around the edges or speaking too boldly. Gossiping away into the night like lifelong friends.</p>
<p>It almost felt like those nights in Spikemuth he spent with Sonia.</p>
<p>So lost in talk, none of them heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.</p>
<p>“Ah...excuse me,” the three look up curiously. “Sorry for interrupting, but I wanted to come and greet our newest family member.” Before them stood a man of average high and athletic build. Purple hair tied back into a neat ponytail, beard shaved into the oddest pattern Piers could remember seeing.</p>
<p>Piers recognizes him instantly as another popular face to plaster gossip magazines and celebrity spotlight specials on late-night TV. Professional horseback rider turned actor turned Omega rights activist, Leon.</p>
<p>The man gives a dazzling smile, and Bea launches herself from her seat, flinging her arms around his neck.</p>
<p>“Leon! Oh my God, I didn’t know you were coming tonight!” he returns the hug, patting her gently on the back with a chuckle. Another figure emerges from the crowd, coming to stand behind Leon with a lazy, pointy-toothed grin. This man is massive, standing at the very least six foot seven, towering over all the others at the party. While lean, Piers can tell this man is strong and toned underneath the suit he was sloppily wearing.</p>
<p>Piers doesn’t recognize this one, but the scent of a protective Alpha overwhelmed him instantly, setting him on edge.</p>
<p>“Easy does it, Bea, you gotta be more careful with him now.” the man slings an arm over Leon’s shoulders, nuzzling into his neck affectionately. Bea lets go quickly, smoothing out her dress as she does.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you guys came. I’ve missed seeing you at events.” the blond girl seems to have picked up on the protective vibe as well, putting a bit of distance between herself and Leon.</p>
<p>“I tried to get him to stay home and rest, but he’s too stubborn to listen.” the Alpha chuckles as Leon waves him off.</p>
<p>“Raihan, stop it. I’m perfectly fine,” the Omega sighs, but he’s still smiling beneath his pretend annoyance. Bea is fidgeting like crazy, grinning, and looking all too happy to see her friend.</p>
<p>“It’s good to see you doing so well,” Nessa sets her champagne glass aside, “How have you been? How is the baby?” Piers feels his ears prick up at that.</p>
<p>Baby?</p>
<p>“I’m doing much better now. The doctor’s got my morning sickness under control so I’m finally able to eat again.”</p>
<p>“Good. And did you get the gifts I sent?” Nessa leans back in her seat, crossing her legs at the ankles and giving a satisfied smirk.</p>
<p>“You mean the two dozen clothing bins full of baby clothes?” Leon chuckles again, “You sent way too much Nessa, there is no way we can possibly use everything you sent to us.”</p>
<p>“If you can’t use it, donate it. Auction it. Save them as collector's items. I don’t design baby clothes for just anyone you know.”</p>
<p>“Don’t tell me...you made all of those just for us?” Raihan’s eyes go wide in shock, and Nessa barks a laugh.</p>
<p>“I had some extra time so I thought it would be fun to try my hand at something new. Once I got started...well, I couldn’t stop.”</p>
<p>“That’s Nessa for you.” Leon sighs, shaking his head. After a moment of silence, the elder Omega picks his head back up, looking at Piers with a grin. He offers his hand, and Piers automatically reaches out to shake it.</p>
<p>“It’s nice to meet you Piers, I’m Leon and this is my fiance, Raihan.”</p>
<p>“N-nice to meet ya. Both of ya.” Piers lowers his head, Raihan’s intimidating presence still setting him on edge.</p>
<p>“Raihan, Bea, why don’t we let the Omegas have some time to themselves?” Nessa picks her glass back up and stands, smoothing out her dress and dusting off a few crumbs from an earlier snack.</p>
<p>“I’m not leaving Leon, you know he hasn’t been w-”</p>
<p>“Go on Rai, have some fun with the others,” Leon gives him a gentle nudge, “I’ll be here waiting for you. Enjoy your freedom while you still have it.”</p>
<p>The Alpha looks torn between staying glued to his mate and obeying the gentle request. Piers can see his jaw clench as he weights the option, but Bea grabs onto one hand, and Nessa the other.</p>
<p>“You heard him, he said to go have fun. Now, let’s go have a drink. I have some juicy details to spill about Gordie and Milo’s date last night.” the girls drag Raihan off with minimal effort, the Alpha glancing over his shoulder one last time with the expression of a kicked puppy.</p>
<p>Leon laughs brightly, taking Nessa’s abandoned seat next to Piers.</p>
<p>“Forgive him. Raihan is a wonderful man, albeit overprotective. I promise you though, he wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Leon leans back in his seat with a heavy sigh, and Piers's eyes wander a little lower, catching sight of a faint bump hidden behind his tailored suit.</p>
<p>“Congratulations on joining the family,” Leon hums, “It’s been a while since Rose has been this thrilled with someone.”</p>
<p>“Ey...be honest with ya, I don’t know what he sees in me.” Piers lowers his head again, the dark anxiety swelling inside him once more. Leon pats him on the shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze.</p>
<p>“It can take time to see your own worth. Especially if you’ve been treated less than fairly.” his gut twists.</p>
<p>“D-Did he tell you about me…?”</p>
<p>“A little,” Leon admits, “I’m sure I don’t know the whole story, and I won’t ask that you tell, but please know, you belong here. Rose wouldn’t have brought you here if you didn’t.” it does help to dispel some of the nerves prickling under his skin.</p>
<p>“Hey...can I ask ya something? Omega to Omega?” he tugs at his tie, twirling it between his bony fingers and nearly choking himself as he does so. Leon nods, giving another warm smile.</p>
<p>“Of course. Anything at all.”</p>
<p>“It’s just…” Piers takes a deep breath, focusing on a drop of spilled red wine on the marble near his feet, “All the others I’ve met up till now have been Alphas. Bea has been really great and encouraging, and Nessa was so gracious, but…”</p>
<p>“They don’t understand the way an Omega does.” Leon finishes the thought, “They have nothing but good intentions, but it just isn’t the same.”</p>
<p>“Yeah...” Piers nods, not taking his eyes off the floor, “I like them a whole lot, I really do, but, I just can’t offer them the same amount of trust I could another Omega.”</p>
<p>“I understand. It was that way when I first came here as well. Except at the time, it was only me and Oleana.”</p>
<p>“Ey...that’s shite luck.” Piers winces, “I’d go mad if the only person I could be around was that witch.” Leon barks a laugh.</p>
<p>“She isn’t so bad once you get to know her. Growing up in Spikemuth took its toll on her.”</p>
<p>Piers feels his mouth hang open in shock.</p>
<p>“Oleana’s from Spikemuth?”</p>
<p>“Born and raised...But you didn’t hear that from me.” Leon presses a finger to his lips and winks.</p>
<p>“Now, what was that question you wanted to ask me?”</p>
<p>“Ah...yeah...I dunno how to say it ‘politely’ but...has Rose ever...ya know… tried to get touchy with ya?” Piers expects an instant response. Everyone adored the man, and even up till now, Rose had done nothing but care for him. Gave him everything he could ever want, need or desire.</p>
<p>A laugh.</p>
<p>A sharp, ‘How dare you!’</p>
<p>Anything at all.</p>
<p>The lingering silence spoke a thousand words Piers was certain he wasn’t going to hear.</p>
<p>“Has he touched you?” Leon’s voice is quiet, had Piers not been paying attention he wouldn’t have heard.</p>
<p>“No, no ‘e hasn’t.” Piers quickly responds, a look of relief washing over Leon’s face.</p>
<p>“You frightened me!” the jovial expression was back, and Leon is smiling as bright as ever. Piers suddenly feels guilty once more.</p>
<p>Planting the seeds of doubt into Leon’s mind.</p>
<p>
  <em>Rose is clearly loved by all. </em>
</p>
<p>No one had anything poor to say about the man aside from his hideous taste in casual wear.</p>
<p>Why was Piers still clinging to this suspicion?</p>
<p>
  <em>Why did Leon ask at all?</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments keep me going, please feel free to leave one!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The party comes to an end sooner than Piers expects, with Bea the first to leave, her mother practically dragging her away as she shouted her goodbyes and good-nights. Raihan and Leon bow out an hour later after the Omega is taken aside to discuses business with Rose, coming back looking positively exhausted.</p>
<p>Nessa lasts the longest, sipping on her third glass of champagne and getting increasingly more agitated with Gordie’s sour attitude before finally excusing herself for the night under the guise of work the next morning.</p>
<p>With his little group dispersed, and the feeling of safety gone along with them, Piers quietly ducks out. The elevator ride back down to the lobby is painfully quiet, leaving the residual ringing of the crowd in his ears.</p>
<p>When the doors finally open, The Omega is surprised to see Oleana sitting in the lobby, tapping away at her phone with an irritated expression.</p>
<p>“Ey, what’re you doing down here without Rose?” Piers can’t recall ever seeing her without the Alpha within earshot. Oleana glances up, blood-red lips twitching into a frown.</p>
<p>“The Chairman is finishing up with a meeting. You should still be at the party.”</p>
<p>“I can’t take no more of that crowd. Just wanna go home and knock out for a few hours.” Piers digs his hands down into his pockets, grinding his teeth as Oleana glares up at him.</p>
<p>“This party was thrown in your honor. The very least you can do is stay until the final guests leave. Surely you aren’t that devoid of manners.”</p>
<p>“Didn’t ask for him to throw a party for me in the first place.” her attitude was only fueling his own irritation, but he does flinch as she jolts to her feet, heels slamming onto the tile flooring like a gunshot.</p>
<p>“I’ve had enough of your shite.” she growls, drawing herself up to her full height, eyes cutting him like a hot blade through butter. “The Chairman has been nothing but gracious to you, but here you are, continuing to act like a snot-nosed little brat. Grow up and behave like a proper adult before you lose the only chance you have being anything less than a cock sucking whore.”</p>
<p>
  <em>There. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> There it is. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> That’s all you’ll ever be. </em>
</p>
<p>The words spill forth like milk from a knocked over carton.</p>
<p>“That’s big talk comin from a fellow Spikemuth tart,” Piers doesn’t care how many staff members are staring, “Once a Spikemuth brat, always a Spikemuth brat.” it’s clear he’s hit a raw nerve, the furry on her face, unlike anything Piers had ever seen. The Alpha has her arm drawn back, palm opened wide, blood-red nails pointed like claws.</p>
<p>Piers braces himself, sinking back, face scrunched up.</p>
<p>“That’s enough.” before she can bring her hand down across his face, a firm grip on her wrist stops her in her tracks. The blood drains from her face, eyes going wide as Rose circles around in front of her.</p>
<p>“S-Sir, I-”</p>
<p>“Save it Oleana,” he lets go of her wrist, but his gaze doesn’t waver, “Piers is still a child. You, are an adult. Perhaps you should take your own advise and ‘grow up.’” all the fire is left from her eyes, tears welling up and dripping down. Mascara and eyeliner smearing over her bright, shame colored cheeks.</p>
<p>“You are dismissed for the rest of the night. Go home, think about your actions, and be prepared to try and convince me not to fire you tomorrow.” Rose turns away from the spluttering Oleana, giving the Omega a warm smile.</p>
<p>“Come with me Piers. I’ll give you a ride home.” the offer is accepted without a word, and Piers keeps his head lowered as he follows the Alpha outside into the chilly night air. Leaving Oleana to sink to her knees and openly sob in front of the now gathering crowd.</p>
<p>They stand in silence as Rose’s car is pulled up to the curb.</p>
<p>Sleek, black, and impossibly expensive.</p>
<p>Settling into their seats, Rose instructs his driver to take them back to the apartment. The lights of the hotel fade away as they drive on, the dead silence of the ride filling Piers with dread. There’s a lingering, familiar scent that fills the backseat, but it’s faint enough Piers can’t place it right away.</p>
<p>“Ey…Ya aren’t really gonna fire ‘er over this, are ya?” Piers chews at his lower lip, picking at his nails as Rose gives an exhausted sigh.</p>
<p>“I’m unsure. Oleana is a hard working woman with many wonderful qualities, but her temper can flare up without any warning. I can not have her threatening others.”</p>
<p>“It’s my fault though,” Piers isn’t sure why he feels the need to defend the woman who’s been looking down on him this whole time, “I know she don’t like me, but I talked to ‘er anyway.”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t like you Piers,” Rose shifts in his seat, and Piers notices the smell is growing stronger, “No one should resort to physical violence over something as petty as a few bitter words. You certainly weren’t in the right either, but Oleana is a grown woman with much more life experience. I expect better from her.”</p>
<p>Piers pressed his forehead to the car window, letting the coolness of it help clear his head.</p>
<p>Oleana was like him.</p>
<p>Spikemuth trash.</p>
<p>An Alpha as she may be, it didn’t mean her life wasn’t tragic.</p>
<p>
  <em>Don’t go soft now. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> You’d not have given a shit before. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> She’s not like you. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> She’s an Alpha. </em>
</p>
<p>“You said if I needed anything, you’d get it for me, right?”</p>
<p>“That is correct.” Rose hums, and Piers can faintly see the man’s curious expression in the reflection of the window.</p>
<p>“Well...I need ya not to fire her.” Rose lets out a deep, hearty laugh, making Piers jump in his seat. Whirling around, eyes wide, the Omega watches as the older Alpha wipes away tears from his eyes.</p>
<p>“You...You are a good boy Piers,” Rose reaches over, still laughing, and squeezes the Omega’s hand tightly. “Such a good boy.” Piers can’t bring himself to look away once their eyes locked.</p>
<p>Rose is smiling so warmly, the faintest crinkles around his eyes.</p>
<p>His hand feels so large and so warm.</p>
<p>His entire being so inviting.</p>
<p>Rose feels so safe.</p>
<p>All in one instance, Piers feels his world-shattering around him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Don’t you dare.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Don’t you fucking dare. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Don’t you fucking dare fall for that Alpha bastard. </em>
</p>
<p>The breath catches in his throat, cheeks burning hotly as Piers jerks his head away. Heart hammering against his chest, legs trembling, sweat dripping down his spine.</p>
<p>
  <em>He doesn’t love you. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> It’s all just business. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Stop it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Just fucking stop it. </em>
</p>
<p>The scent catches his attention again.</p>
<p>This time, it’s too potent to not recognize.</p>
<p>
  <em>Sex. </em>
</p>
<p>The mingling of Omega pheromones and the general musty order of sex was clinging to the Alpha.</p>
<p>
  <em>Business meetings?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> No, no that’s not what it was at all. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> How could you be so stupid?</em>
</p>
<p>“Piers, are you alright?” Rose’s worried voice doesn’t register, Piers is far too lost in his own head to hear.</p>
<p>
  <em>Did you think you were special?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> You didn’t even want to be special. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> You don’t even know what you want. </em>
</p>
<p>It’s all too much, overwhelming him so fully he doesn’t even realize he isn’t breathing.</p>
<p>“Piers? Answer me.”</p>
<p>The car comes to a stop in front of the apartment. Piers quietly unbuckles his seat-belt and slips out the car-door before Rose could protest. He walks swiftly through the front entrance, forgoing to the elevator in favor of the stairwell, he runs up all the flights of stairs without stopping once to gasp for air.</p>
<p>Every fiber in his body is on fire. Knees wobbling and threatening to give out on him at any second, lungs burning like hellfire in his chest as he scrambles into the safety of his apartment.</p>
<p>
  <em>What the fuck is wrong with you?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Why the fuck would you do that?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Idiot. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Idiot. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Stupid fucking idiot.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Even when you get what you want, you still aren’t satisfied. </em>
</p>
<p>The trembling Omega can’t even make it to the sofa, collapsing onto the granite floor halfway there instead.</p>
<p>
  <em>You didn’t want to be used. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Now you want to be used?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> You didn’t want him to touch you.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Now you want him to touch you?</em>
</p>
<p>Curling around himself and dragging his nails across his scalp, Piers lets a string of curses slip past his chapped lips.</p>
<p>
  <em>Are you that fucked up?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Are you that fucking deranged?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> You don’t even know what you want. </em>
</p>
<p>Piers doesn’t know how to handle the hollow feeling in his chest. The pure emptiness and despair that he can only remember feeling twice before in his life. The confusion, the terror, and sheer overwhelming expectations placed on his frail shoulders were breaking him.</p>
<p>
  <em> Keep acting like a crazy bitch.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> He’s gonna have you locked up in the loony bin.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Who’s gonna take care of Marnie then?</em>
</p>
<p>No one.</p>
<p>No one would.</p>
<p>
  <em>Selfish bastard. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Given the chance of a lifetime. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> You fuck it all up regardless. </em>
</p>
<p>There comes a knock at the front door, jolting Piers from his thoughts.</p>
<p>“Piers? May I come in?” Rose’s voice fills the empty space between them.</p>
<p>
  <em>Damn it. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Why did he follow me?</em>
</p>
<p>“Is this about Oleana? Did I upset you?” he sounds so pitiful, and Piers feels his belly lurch in guilt. Scrambling to his feet, the Omega limps to the door, letting it swing open on it’s own accord.</p>
<p>Rose tentatively enters the apartment, looking about cautiously.</p>
<p>“What have I done now?” the Alpha offers it as a joke, but the sorrowful look on the Omega’s face prompts a quick shift in attitude.</p>
<p>“You ain’t done nothin.” Piers mumbles, fidgeting this his collar. Rose takes a few steps closer, slipping a finger on the teenager’s chin and lifting his face.</p>
<p>“It doesn’t seem to be nothing. How can I hope to improve our relationship if you don’t inform me of the mistakes I make?”</p>
<p>“I said ya didn’t do nothing wrong. Why’d I bother lying this time I’ve called ya on your shit before?” Piers drawls, trying to soothe his frazzled nerves and play off his unease nonchalantly.</p>
<p>Rose leans in closer, brows furrowed, lips twitching into a tight frown.</p>
<p>“So if it wasn’t me, what was it?”</p>
<p>Piers bites his lip, curling his fingers into a fist so tightly his nails began to break the skin.</p>
<p>
  <em>Don’t.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Don’t say it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Don’t you dare.</em>
</p>
<p>“I ain’t...never had an Alpha care about me before...I don’t know how to handle it.” he murmurers quickly, red hot shame flushing his cheeks bright pink. The pounding in his chest only growing louder, the primal need to flee overwhelmingly powerful.</p>
<p>Rose takes a moment before speaking as he rubs his chin thoughtfully.</p>
<p>“I see...I think I understand,” he gives a gentle laugh.</p>
<p>
  <em>He’s mocking you. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> He’s just being nice. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> He’s like all the others. </em>
</p>
<p>“It’s alright to be confused Piers. You’re young and experiencing an entirely new life. It only makes sense that you might start to develop feelings you haven’t felt before.” the humiliation that waves over him is unbearable, and Piers snarls up at the Alpha. Eyes narrowed, teeth barred as he growls deep and low.</p>
<p>“Don’t you dare treat me like some lovesick tart.”</p>
<p>Rose lets out an amused chuckle, lips curling into a sardonic grin. Drawing himself up to his full height and tilting his head back into a cocky glare, Rose is quick to snarl back.</p>
<p>“Aren’t you though?”</p>
<p>Piers feels a jolt of electricity run down his spine, the humiliation only deepening.</p>
<p>
  <em>There. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> There it is. </em>
</p>
<p>The Omega can’t help but stumble back in fear. The intensity the Alpha had so quickly presented was gone. Vanishing like a ghost. So quick Piers would have doubted it had ever even been there if those words weren’t still echoing in his ears.</p>
<p>
  <em>Aren’t you though?</em>
</p>
<p>“Piers, it’s alright to be confused. It’s important to explore those feelings. Running away from them will only make you fear them more.” Rose offers a sympathetic smile, but Piers is still too rattled to feel anything but terror.</p>
<p>“You should get some rest Piers. You’ve had a busy night and I’m sure all of this has been overwhelming,” Rose sighs deeply, turning to shuffle back towards the still-open front door. “Oh, and don’t forget, I’ll be by tomorrow evening to discuss your schedule for next month.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Shits going to hit the fan in the next chapter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warnings for this chapter include: Abuse of power, sexual activity involving an underage character, abuse disguised as punishment, and references to self-harm.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sleep comes fitfully. Tossing and turning over and over again, Piers flops from the head of the bed to the foot. The mattress is plush, allowing his body to sink down into it with ease, and had he been able to force his mind to shut down for a fraction of a second, sleep would have taken him.</p>
<p>The Omega is still awake when the sun begins to filter in through the cracks in the blinds, burning his dry eyes and forcing him to bury his face into the pillows. From beside his head comes a sudden vibration and the low hum that accompanies it.</p>
<p>Exhausted, Piers slips his hand under the covers and retrieves his phone.</p>
<p>
  <em>Sonia: Hey, never heard from u again last night. Did u make it back from the party ok?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Piers: Got back late and crashed. Sorry.</em>
</p>
<p>He chews on the inside of his cheek, debating on if telling Sonia was worth the trouble. How would he explain himself? Could he even explain these feelings brewing in the pit of his stomach? The shame, resentment, affection, and terror?</p>
<p>
  <em>Piers: You ought to come visit soon. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sonia: Oh I want 2 so bad! I’ve been swamped with work lately. Lack of Valnide has made 4 a serious rise in pregnancies in Spikemut.</em>
</p>
<p>Piers feels his anxiety spike immediately.</p>
<p>
  <em>How close were you to being one of them?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Piers: I get it. Hit me up if you get time though. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sonia: I will! Stay safe and have fun!</em>
</p>
<p>Grabbing his phone charger from the bedside table, Piers leans over the edge of the bed and fumbles around for a bit before successfully plugging it in. The soft <em>ding </em>from his phone gave him confirmation it was charging properly, and he flops back onto the pillows.</p>
<p>Rose had been sure to leave the Omega's schedule free for the day at Piers’s request, giving him some much needed time to recharge after the party. The low hum of all the voices and clinking of glasses still ringing in his ears, but Rose’s words were louder than all of that.</p>
<p>
  <em>Aren’t you though?</em>
</p>
<p>Swinging his feet over the side of the bed, Piers forces his aching body to move. In the corner of the bedroom, the few boxes of belongings he had bothered to have moved to Wyndon were still sitting untouched. With a tired sigh, he pries the tape back and flips the boxes open.</p>
<p>The first one was old makeup, hand me down clothes from his mother, and some storybooks he’d treasured as a child. Colorful picture books his mother had read him every night, whispering her own spin of the classic tales. Piers told himself he was only hanging onto them for Marnie, but deep down, he knows the real reason he couldn’t stand to part with them.</p>
<p>The second box was packed with old CD’s, classic cassettes, and some of his mother's most treasured vinyl. Things she’d brought home from her days at college, replaying them over and over till they barely functioned. Piers closes his eyes, and for a moment, he’s back in Spikemuth, dancing around the living room without a care with his mother singing along from the kitchen.</p>
<p>The third box was smaller, only filled with a couple of Diana’s dresses. One by one Piers lifts them from the box, running his fingers over the silky fabric and bringing them close enough to smell.</p>
<p>Her scent lingers faintly even after all this time. Vanilla-Honey perfume bought at the local drugstore to drown out her own vile scent of violets and cigar smoke. A pang of sorrow hits as he wonders if Marnie will remember her scent. If she would remember anything at all.</p>
<p>Without much thought, Piers peels off his nightclothes and slips into his mother’s old garments. It’s a dark, royal purple silk slip dress that barely reaches his knobby knees. It clings to his frail form, making the Omega self-conscious of just how sickly he looked.</p>
<p>Sifting through the small box of cosmetics he’d saved from the apartment, Piers smudges the coal eye shadow over his lids and paints on thick dark lines on the rims of his eyes. His lips are coated with dark lipstick, and as he steps back to admire himself in the mirror, he feels all too comfortable.</p>
<p>
  <em>Spikemuth whore. </em>
</p>
<p>Piers lets a soft laugh pass under his breath, fingers curling up into his tangled locks and tugging them roughly. How horrific the urge to go prowl around the back alleys of Wyndon was.</p>
<p>Pushing the thought down, Piers fishes out his mother’s favorite CD and places it into the player Rose has so graciously provided him with upon seeing the size of his collections. A pair of plush, noise-canceling headphones had been provided to him as well, and while he’d never admitted it, found it to be the most wonderful of all the gifts Rose had showered him with.</p>
<p>A collection of her favorite classical pieces shuffled in alongside classic rock, old school folk, jazz, blues, and everything else. An eclectic mix of new and old that brings him right back to childhood. The sound of her voice filling his ears as he prepares for bed. The gentle touch of her fingers through his hair as he drifted off to sleep.</p>
<p>Closing his eyes, Piers wraps his arms around himself, desperately clinging to the memory of being wrapped in his mother’s arms. Swaying side to side gently, so fully and totally lost in his mind, he doesn’t even notice he’s started to sing along with the song playing.</p>
<p>“<em>When does it get quiet? </em></p>
<p>
  <em>Time was supposed to extinguish the desire... </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>But the embers won't snuff out </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Haunted by your smiles </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The mask keeps getting heavier </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>One step forward, two steps back.”</em>
</p>
<p>For just a moment, a fleeting second in time, Piers can hear her voice once more. Soft, deep, and sultry. It came naturally to her, the way her fingers flew over piano keys and across guitar strings.</p>
<p>“<em>There's a noose round my neck and the further I get,</em></p>
<p>
  <em>It's harder &amp; harder to breathe,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Can I find a way to cut the rope? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I've been waiting for dawn, </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>But the light is all gone. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Don't know if I'm already blind... </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Can I leave it all behind?”</em>
</p>
<p>He’s no longer in Wyndon, but back in Spikemuth. Nestled into bed with his mother beside him. Crooning away, the gentle beat of her heart lulling him into total relaxation.</p>
<p>“<em>What's it really for if it's not yours and it's not mine? </em></p>
<p>
  <em>This victory is not what I hoped for... </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>How was I to know that everything would end up like this? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Survival of the fittest... of sorts.”</em>
</p>
<p>The song comes to a close all too soon, tearing him from his daydream all too soon. As he opens his eyes slowly, groaning quietly as reality sinks back in, a scent catches his attention.</p>
<p>
  <em>Roses.</em>
</p>
<p>Whirling around on his heels and tearing the headphones from his ears, Piers can practically feel the color drain from his face.</p>
<p>Rose is standing in the doorway of his bedroom, looking sheepish as he clears his throat awkwardly.</p>
<p>“Sorry for interrupting...I called you several times but you never answered.”</p>
<p>“Doorbell.” Piers yelps out dumbly, cheeks burning hot.</p>
<p>“I did...I was concerned something might be wrong. I thought perhaps you had…” there’s a lingering, unspoken confession resting between as Rose’s fingers graze over his wrists.</p>
<p>Reflexively the Omega hides his arms, white-hot shame washing down his spine as he realizes his scars are on full display. The white fades lines mingling with freshly healed, raised red slices. Down his wrists, up his arms, across his legs.</p>
<p>It wasn’t the first time Rose had seen them.</p>
<p>It was the first time Piers felt shame in them.</p>
<p>“I’m fine,” He growls through gritted teeth, snarling furiously at the Alpha, “What do ya want?”</p>
<p>“I needed to change the time of our meeting from tonight to this morning.” Rose shifts awkwardly from foot to foot, eyes wandering over the Omega’s trembling form.</p>
<p>“You still have those clothes.”</p>
<p>Piers doesn’t like the tone of his voice, the unspoken accusation.</p>
<p>
  <em>Still a slut.</em>
</p>
<p>“They belonged to my ma.” Piers hisses.</p>
<p>“You don’t need to dress that way anymore.” Rose clears his throat, and Piers falters under his gaze.</p>
<p>
  <em>Get rid of them. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Show some gratitude for what you’ve been given. </em>
</p>
<p>“I kept ‘em because I like ‘em. Don’t matter as long as I don’t wear ‘em out,” he’s stumbling over his words in a pathetic attempt to justify his actions. “Sometimes I just like to wear ‘em. Nothin wrong with that.”</p>
<p>“If what I’ve provided you isn’t to your taste I can arrange to have you fitted for something more your liking.” Rose’s eyes linger a little too long, and Piers can feel blood rushing somewhere it had no business being.</p>
<p>“It ain’t like that. Sometimes I just wanna wear <em>these </em>clothes.” he turns away, crossing his legs slightly to hide the growing bulge under his dress.</p>
<p>“Do you like reminiscing about your time on the streets?” the mirth in his tone only infuriates the Omega further.</p>
<p>“Shut up. It ain’t your business.”</p>
<p>“It <em>is </em>my business. You are under my care now, and your well being is my concern.” Rose speaks firmly, with authority. Piers feels like a small child being scolded for eating cookies before dinner, and he despises it.</p>
<p>“I don’t need no shit from you ‘bout this. It’s my room, I can do what I want in here.” perhaps it isn’t the best hill to die on, but Piers was ready to fight tooth and nail.</p>
<p>“Piers, I don’t want you to wear those things anymore. It isn’t good for you to dress in your deceased mother’s clothing.” it’s sound logic, and Piers knows just how disgusting it is. How filthy is must seem for him to so proudly adorn the same outfits Diana had used to lure Alpha after Alpha into bed.</p>
<p>“You can’t tell me what to do,” he growls under his breath, damning himself for choosing this moment in time to be defiant.</p>
<p>
  <em>Just do what he says. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> For once in your life, just be obedient. </em>
</p>
<p>“Look at me Piers.” it’s a gentle command, laced with a honey-sweet melody. Piers feels his stomach lurch.</p>
<p>“Leave and I’ll change.” the Omega offers a compromise, but Rose isn’t having it.</p>
<p>“Turn around and face me.”</p>
<p>“No.” Piers balks, hunching over and lowering his head, letting his hair slip around his shoulders and cover his face.</p>
<p>“I’ve been patient with you Piers, but if you continue to act like a brat, I’ll have no choice but to punish you,” Rose says it so calmly, far too in his element. Piers swallows thickly, the heat between his legs growing hotter by the second.</p>
<p>“So? Do it. If you want to be the big, bad Alpha, punish me.” there isn’t a fiber of his being that doesn’t understand the weight of that taunt. The crushing consequence that would follow if Rose actually deiced he’d had enough of Piers bratty attitude.</p>
<p>“Look at me. Right now.” Rose’s voice bellows through the room, rattling Piers to his core. Instinct overtakes willpower, and Piers obeys. Hair covering his face, arms wrapped round himself as he trembles weakly under Rose’s piercing gaze.</p>
<p>Piers feels so small.</p>
<p>So vulnerable.</p>
<p>
  <em>It felt so good. </em>
</p>
<p>“Are you going to get rid of those clothes?” Rose keeps his tone even, gaze unfaltering as Piers sucks in a sharp breath.</p>
<p>“<em>No.</em>” he answers defiantly, cock pressing firmly against the tight fabric of the dress.</p>
<p>“Come here.” Rose points directly to the floor in front of him, and while Piers knows this is the time to run, the time to beg for forgiveness, the time to swallow his pride and just to what an Alpha says for once in his life...he steps closer.</p>
<p>“Do you understand why you have to be punished?” Rose questions.</p>
<p>Piers swallows thickly.</p>
<p>“’ Cause I won’t get rid of my whore shit.”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Rose nods calmly as he takes a seat on the edge of Piers's bed. He motions for the Omega to come closer, and Piers does.</p>
<p>A sharp yelp escapes as the Omega is jerked off his feet and over Rose’s legs. He squirms weakly, trying to push himself up, but Rose has an elbow pressing directly into the base of his spine, numbing him over with a wave of pain.</p>
<p>“It will be over sooner if you don’t struggle.” Rose is calm, far too calm.</p>
<p>How many times had he done with before?</p>
<p>Did the others have to go through this?</p>
<p>
  <em>Smack.</em>
</p>
<p>Piers opens his mouth to snark back, but a large palm is slapped across his ass before a word can fall from his chapped lips.</p>
<p>“Fuck!” he yells, squirming harder, “You fucker!” Piers howls wildly as he’s spanked once again.</p>
<p>
  <em>Smack.</em>
</p>
<p>“I’m gonna kill you!”</p>
<p>
  <em>Smack. </em>
</p>
<p>The heat is pooling in the depth of his belly.</p>
<p>“I hate you!”</p>
<p>
  <em>Smack. </em>
</p>
<p>He’s so hard it hurts.</p>
<p>“I was better off in Spikemuth!”</p>
<p>
  <em>Smack. </em>
</p>
<p>Slick is leaking from his hole, dripping down his thighs and onto Rose’s finely pressed trousers.</p>
<p>“Dirty, stupid, fucking shit head cock sucking Alpha!”</p>
<p>
  <em>Smack.</em>
</p>
<p>The pain is blinding now, red hot and tingling down his thighs. Tears are pouring from his eyes as he hiccups out another string of curses.</p>
<p>“Shit eating cunt!” Piers can hardly hear another above the sound of his own voice shrieking swears and threats.</p>
<p>
  <em>Smack. </em>
</p>
<p>“I hate you, I hate you so much!”</p>
<p>His erection is rubbing painfully against the fabric of the dress.</p>
<p>
  <em>Smack. </em>
</p>
<p>“Stop! Stop it! Stop!” the words are strangled, coming out choked and broken as another shriek tears from his throat.</p>
<p>
  <em>Smack. </em>
</p>
<p>All at once, and with no chance to stop it, Piers cums.</p>
<p>A terrifying sound between a scream and a sob fills the room as Piers body shutters from his orgasm, sticky ropes of cum ruining the inside of his dress and leaking out onto Rose.</p>
<p>The Omega goes limp over the Alpha’s knees, sobbing and gasping for air.</p>
<p>“I hate you, I hate you, I hate you,” the words trickle out weakly as Rose shifting and rolls Piers onto the bed. He’s a sticky mess, slick and cum pooling under him, face stained with tears and snot.</p>
<p>He watches Rose through the hair that covers his face.</p>
<p>The Alpha wipes himself off with the bed-sheet, face set in a somber expression.</p>
<p>“I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.” Piers keeps whispering, as though those words held any amount of meaning at this point.</p>
<p>“I expect you to discard those old clothes of yours tonight, and be at my apartment afternoon for the meeting we didn’t have time to complete today due to your bad attitude,” Rose says calmly, turning and leaving the room without another word.</p>
<p>Piers listens as the front door closes, a whole new wave of tears overtaking him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Fuck him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Fuck him!</em>
</p>
<p>The voice in his head to deafening.</p>
<p>
  <em>Fuck him!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Fuck him!</em>
</p>
<p>He chokes on another raspy sob.</p>
<p>
  <em>So why did he want Rose to do it again?</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The song Piers was singing was The Guardian by Shawn James.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning for this chapter include and not limited to: Abuse of power, dubious consent, gaslighting and manipulation. If these things bother you please do not proceed. You have been warned.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The scene replays inside Rose’s head over and over on an endless loop.</p><p>The sound of Piers crying, so small and pathetic, clawing into his thighs with all the fear of a rat struggling to free itself from a trap. The heat of his erection against him, the way his body shuddered and trembled as he shamefully climaxed.</p><p>Rose can’t recall a time where he’s felt this unsure of how to proceed. It was rare for him to lose his temper, and over something so trivial as well. What did it matter if the boy wore those clothes?</p><p>
  <em>I won’t let anyone see him like that. </em>
</p><p>Taking a breath, the Alpha runs his fingers through his hair.</p><p>
  <em>It’s for my eyes and my eyes alone. </em>
</p><p>No.</p><p>Rose lets his head hit his desk with a dull <em>thunk. </em></p><p>All the others before had been so easy.</p><p>Strung up like puppets and playing right into his hand.</p><p>All it took was a little time, some bribery, and a few pretty lies.</p><p>It wasn’t as if they had all been saints before, no, many of his previous Prodigies were troublesome. Rebellious, wild, and free-spirited. Swearing up and down they would never end up as so many had before them.</p><p>Why was Piers so different?</p><p>Rose grinds his teeth, jaw popping as the images of Piers dressed in that pathetic excuse of a dress flood through his mind once more. The urge to rip it off him and remind him how grateful he should be filling him up.</p><p>What was he to do now? Whatever progress he’d made with the Omega was set back to the very start. Months of trust shattered, crushed, and ground to a pulp in a matter of seconds over something that could have been handled with a bit of tact.</p><p>Before Rose can continue his cycle of regrets, a soft whisper of a knock comes from his office door.</p><p>Straightening himself upright and smoothing his hair back into place, Rose puts on his best smile. Hands folded neatly on the desk, all air of misery tucked away for later.</p><p>“Come in,” he calls, keeping his tone light and even.</p><p>A few seconds pass before the door is slowly opened.</p><p>Oleana steps in.</p><p>The Alpha’s smile vanishes once more.</p><p>She shuffles into the room, hands fidgeting with the gold bracelet Rose had given her for her birthday two years prior. Her eyes are red and puffy, mascara smudged and lipstick blotchy. She’s trembling head to toe, head hung low in a clear display of submission.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Rose asks coolly, watching to see just what the female Alpha would do. Oleana shifts her weight from foot to foot, gnawing on her lower lip nervously. The overpowering smell of her Lilac and Vanilla perfume can’t even conceal the scent of her terror.</p><p>“Please Sir, I’m so so so terribly sorry for what happened at the party.” it has been nearly two days since Rose had seen her last, and he’s certain she hasn’t slept a wink.</p><p>“Are you?” it’s a simple question, with a simple answer.</p><p>Yes or no.</p><p>Oleana falls to her knees, sobbing.</p><p>“I promise, I won’t do nothing like that again!” in the midst of her cries, Rose takes note of her Spikemuth accent creeping in. “I’m so sorry! Please, please forgive me!” she’s on her hands and knees, forehead touching the floor as she bows.</p><p>Rose watches silently for a moment before he takes pity on her.</p><p>“Come here,” he orders. Oleana, still on her hands and knees, frantically crawls to him. The Alpha pushes himself away from his desk, swirling his chair to face the tearful woman. Reaching out, he cups her cheek with his hand, rubbing some of her ruined mascara off.</p><p>“You know I could never stay mad at you Ollie,” he soothes, allowing her to grip onto his wrist and pepper his palm with kisses, heat beginning to stir in his belly. “But you know you were wrong. I can’t allow you to break the rules and not be punished.” she nods swiftly, hair swirling into her face.</p><p>“I can make it up to ya, I swears I can.” she swallows thickly, tears still dripping down her pale cheeks, foundation streaking. Rose can’t help but admire how naturally beautiful Oleana is under all the makeup she cakes on. Those high cheekbones, sunken eyes, and full lips cost most women in Wyndon a fortune to obtain.</p><p>“Show me you are sorry and I’ll forgive you,” he whispers. Oleana releases the grip on his wrist instantly. Trembling fingers fumble with the zipper on Rose’s trousers, barely able to free the Alpha’s half-hard cock.</p><p>Rose eases himself back in his chair, spreading his legs wider and allowing the female Alpha better access. She’s quick to work, wrapping her lips over the head of his cock and sucking gently. Her tongue lapping up and down his shaft as she takes him fully into her mouth in one quick motion.</p><p>Rose groans, head falling back. His fingers slip into her hair, forcing her head down. His cock hits the back of her throat, but Oleana doesn’t even gag. A brief flash of the past comes to mind as Rose remembers how he found her. Naked and cowering in the back of a Spikemuth brothel, bruised from her cheeks to her toes.</p><p>Oleana pulls her lips from his cock with a wet pop, taking a few quick breaths before slipping it back down her throat. Her teeth gently scrap over his shaft, a hard suck earning a sharp and sudden moan from the Alpha.</p><p>“Just like that Ollie.” he praises, rutting into her throat. She doesn’t flinch, sucking in a sharp breath through her nose and hungrily suckling the drops of precum leaking onto her tongue.</p><p>“Such a good girl you are,” he hums, head growing hazy, “Haven’t lost your touch even after all these years, have you?” he teases, listening as she gives a shuttered moan. The vibrations around his cock only edging him on further.</p><p>“Do you practice still? Is that where you slip off to on your nights off? Sucking off rich Alphas who lavish you with expensive gifts?” she whines high and tight. It sounds so pitiful, so broken. <br/>Rose can’t help but cum.</p><p>“Don’t dirty the floor Ollie.” he warns.</p><p>Oleana splutters, struggling to swallow it all down. Tears dripping from the corners of her tightly shut eyes.</p><p>“That’s it. Don’t waste a drop.” Rose coos, finally untangling his fingers from her hair and allowing the woman to pull back. She coughs into her hand, gulping down a few much-needed breaths of air.</p><p>“Thank you Sir,” she rests her head against Rose’s thigh, a sob catching in her chest, “Thank you for forgiving me.” her hair is a mess, frizzed and fluffed into a messy rat-nest. Makeup thoroughly ruined, cheeks ruddy, and lips swollen. Eyes half-lidded as she struggles to catch her breath.</p><p>“You look so lovely like this Ollie,” Rose murmurs, “Just like a proper Omega. On your knees and so willing to please your Alpha.”</p><p>“Only you,” she chokes out, “Only you. No one else. My only Alpha.” she sobs softly. Rose can’t help but smile.</p><p>“Was it worth it Ollie? Do you ever miss being an Omega?” her eyes go wide and Rose knows he’s dancing in dangerous territory, but it was just such fun to tease her.</p><p>“What if I told you to stop taking your suppressants? Would you do it for me? Would you be my Omega if I promised to bond you?” he leans down, looping a strand of her hair between his fingers and bringing it to his lips. “Would you give me a pup? I think you’d look beautiful carrying my child.” Oleana’s gives a shattered cry, head dropping into her hands as she wails inconsolably.</p><p>“N-No d-don’t make me pick! D-don’t me makes pick! I can’t, I can’t!” she backs up into the underside of his desk, cowering under his gaze. Nails raking across her cheeks, shallow breaths coming quicker and quicker as she hovers on the verge of hyperventilating.</p><p>“Oh Ollie, don’t be so dramatic, you know I’m only teasing,” Rose chuckles, shaking his head. “You know I would never really ask that of you.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm sorry for such a short chapter after being gone for so long. I originally had three chapters written, but I went through a very unlucky patch and had 4 laptops break on me in the space of only a few months. I lost everything I had writing and have struggled to find the motivation to continue. I hope this will do until I can get something better done. I hope all of you are having a happy 2021 so far, perhaps this year will be kinder to us all.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: mild gore/self-harm</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The flip-phone was old. Its once bright red paint now scuffed and faded into a dull maroon. The numbers had been worn off the buttons, and the speaker was busted and any calls needed to be pressed directly to one’s ear to be heard. The screen itself flickered and fades when being opened and closed, the hinge dangerously loose.</p>
<p>Piers sat on his bed, flipping it open and closed in a rhythmic pattern. Eyes staring dead ahead at the mark he’d left on the wall in a fit of rage. His knuckles stung and dripped blood into the pearly white sheets, but he’s far too lost in his own thoughts to care.</p>
<p>In the silence of this penthouse apartment, Piers hears his mother’s voice whispering in his ear.</p>
<p>
  <em>I warned you. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Why didn’t you listen to me?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> You got what you deserved. </em>
</p>
<p>His phone beings to vibrate for the fifth time that hour, but he ignores it. Continuing to flip it open and closed as he stares onward.</p>
<p>
  <em>What did you expect?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> What did you honestly expect?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Idiot. Moron. Fuck up. Mistake. </em>
</p>
<p>Sonia’s number flashes over the screen, but Piers just can’t bring himself to answer it. The thought of her high, panicked voice demanding to know what was happening made his skin crawl. The way she would insist on dropping everything and rushing to his aid. Would she pity him? Would she mock him?</p>
<p>His stomach churns, breath coming in quicker and quicker.</p>
<p>
  <em>All you had to do was listen. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Did I really raise such a disobedient brat?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Grow up. </em>
</p>
<p>Even as the hour's tick by, Piers can still feel the burn of Rose’s hand against his ass. The stinging pain radiating through his thighs and up his lower back. It was hardly the first time an Alpha has roughed him up. It wasn’t the first time he’d been brought to tears over something so minute.</p>
<p>
  <em>Why did you like it?</em>
</p>
<p>Once more the phone goes off, vibrating violently in his hand. Pier’s flips it open and smashes the answer button with his thumb.</p>
<p>“Hello??? Piers???” Sonia sounds out of breath, and Piers can just imagine the state she's in. Her hair all wind-blown and messy, those little sparkly star and heart clips holding on for dear life as she tosses her bright locks over her shoulder.</p>
<p>“Yeah, hey, sorry. Was in the shower.” Piers pops his jaw, eyes finally flickering away from the dent he’d left in the wall. Sonia makes a displeased hiss,</p>
<p>“For nearly three hours?? Piers, what the fuck is going on? I’ve been worried sick about you!”</p>
<p>“Ey, I never asked you to worry so much. Some of us don’t have our phones glued to our hands twenty-four-seven.” he snaps back, grinding his teeth and popping his jaw once more. Sonia gets quiet, and he listens to the quivering breath she takes and the guilt builds up again.</p>
<p>“I was worried, you don’t have to be an ass about it.” she’s right, Piers knows she is and he hates that she’s right. He doesn’t want anyone to be right, he just wants someone to feel an ounce of the betrayal boiling in his gut.</p>
<p>“...sorry. ‘ind’t mean to snap,” he mumbles, shoulders dropping.</p>
<p>“What’s going on. Somethings wrong, I can feel it.”</p>
<p>“Got in trouble with the big boss man is all.” Piers props his phone between his shoulder and his cheek, turning his attention to his knuckles. His black nail polish was nearly all chipped away, so he turns to the forming scabs, digging and picking away till they began to bleed anew.</p>
<p>“Did he hurt you?” Sonia sounds dangerously anger, a low growl boiling up in her throat, and Piers is tempted to be truthful for once in his life. He wonders what she would do. What could she do?</p>
<p>Nothing.</p>
<p>“No. Just yelled at me. ‘eserved it though. I was being a little bitch.” he brings his knuckles to his lips, suckling at the small weeping wounds and savoring the bitter, metallic taste of blood on his tongue.</p>
<p>“Tell me what happened.”</p>
<p>“I was wearing some of my mom’s old hooker shit. You know, the real slutty kind. He asked me to get rid of it, and I said no. So he told me I was being ungrateful, I told ‘em to fuck off. You know...just being a little shit.”</p>
<p>“Piers, why do you still have those things?” Sonia doesn’t sound angry but confused. Piers images she's twirling and tugging at that one strand of hair that always hung in her face.</p>
<p>“Dunno. Guess I just...didn’t wanna let go.”</p>
<p>“You have other things of hers. Better things. I’m sure she would want you to remember her with those instead. Like her music!” Sonia isn’t wrong, but Piers can’t help the resentment growing.</p>
<p>“Why’s everyone gotta be like that?” he snaps, “My mom was a whore. A slut. A hooker. A prostitute. Everyone knows it, why I gotta be ashamed of it? She did was she had to do to keep us alive, I’m not gonna let people purify her reputation just ‘cause shes dead now. I’m not ashamed of my mom, I’m not embarrassed about what she did!” he gnaws at his knuckles, tearing small pieces of flesh away with his front teeth and spitting the grit onto the sheets.</p>
<p>“No ones saying you should be! We just want better for you! You don’t have to hold onto that anymore, things are different now!” Sonia is exasperated, and Piers doesn’t blame her. It’s been the same cycle of shit since they met, anyone with half a brain would grow tired of the bullshit he kept spewing.</p>
<p>“I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.” he hangs up before she can say anything else. Flipping the phone closed he stuffs it into his pocket and hauls himself to his feet. The dull ache in his knees still haunting him.</p>
<p>Running his tongue over his teeth, Pier’s sucks the last bits of blood and flesh from them. Atop his nightstand was a familiar bottle, and he snatches it more irritation than he means. The bottle slips from his grasp and tumbles to the ground. The lip cracks open, and little orange pills scatter like bugs across the floor. Rolling under his bed, nightstand, and into the cracks of the hardwood, Piers drops to his knees and begins collecting them.</p>
<p>Valnide was still out of stock in nearly every pharmacy across Galar and the far reaches of Kanto. People were committing murder over single doses, selling this lifeline for thousands of dollars on the black market and millions of lives were being ruined without it.</p>
<p>And here he was, throwing a fit like a spoiled child because he didn’t agree with something Rose wanted him to do. Here he was, risking the safety he’s so desperately fought for, over a lousy dress.</p>
<p>Tears stung the corners of his eyes and he grabs a fistful of pills and drops them back into the container.</p>
<p>How lucky he was, to be chosen by the most desired Alpha of them all.</p>
<p>How easy he had it compared to his Omega brothers and sisters he’d left behind to rot in Spikemuth.</p>
<p>How grateful he should be Rose was asking him to leave his life of prostitution behind, how little he was asking, and how much he was offering.</p>
<p>Piers reaches under his dresser for the last of the pills, popping it into his mouth and swallowing it dry. It left a bitter burn in the back of his throat, but it was a small price to pay for the safety it afforded.</p>
<p>Slamming the container of Valnide down onto his nightstand, Piers crawls on his knees to the ruined dress he’d tossed aside. The fabric stained and ruined from his shameful release, the backside tore from where Rose’s rings had caught the flimsy material.</p>
<p>How many Alpha’s had his mother lured in with this dress?</p>
<p>How many Alpha’s tore it from her body?</p>
<p>How many nights did she cry while she wore it?</p>
<p>Gagging from bile and the bitter aftertaste of the Valnide, Piers sticks his fingers into the small tears and rips them open. Vision blurring as the sounds of ripping fabric fills his ears. A few strong stands catching on his fingers and burning as he twists and pulls it apart even farther.</p>
<p>“Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!” he chokes out, stuffing the ruined dress into the trash bin and falling onto his back. “I don’t need you anymore!” he huffs, wiping his tears and snot away with the back of his hand.</p>
<p>
  <em>I only need Rose. </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry, this took so long again. My health took a plunge again this month, but I think I've got it all straightened out now. Hopefully I'll get more done soon.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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